


More Than A Number

by kylo_cutie97



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Deserved Better, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Trauma, Depression, During Canon, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Fertility Issues, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Medical Trauma, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Please Don't Hate Me, Slow Build, Umbara Arc (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Umbara is a bitch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:48:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 116,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26783182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kylo_cutie97/pseuds/kylo_cutie97
Summary: Vixus Phera is one of the bounty hunters hired by the Republic to head the ARC program and train new cadets on Kamino and damn is she good at her job. But after watching the Domino Squad fail the Citadel Challenge, she realizes there is more to being a clone than just serving as an expendable proxy for this war. Especially after she meets CT-27-5555, she starts to understand that sometimes letting your guard down isn't such a bad thing.Will start a month into the Clone Wars and continue until the end of the war. Follows canon timeline, with slight tweaks to include OC and will have a different take on the ending.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives & Original Character(s), CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 & Original Character(s), CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 82





	1. Domino Sqaud

  
  


Strength, Honor, Loyalty, and Death. 

These were the only things that mattered in life and in war, at least according to Jango Fett. From this simple code came everything you needed to know about the bounty hunter and the reason he was the perfect genetic template in the eyes of the Kaminoans. Vix never had the opportunity to meet the man as she had been hired a month ago at the start of the war, but the way the other bounty hunters in Tipoca City spoke of him was enough to know that Jango was a fighter. So she knows for a fact that he would be extremely disappointed in what she was witnessing at this moment. 

Below her within the massive education complex, five clone cadets huddled behind a transparisteel barrier while commando and super battle droids closed in on their position. She was too high up in the stadium to overhear their conversation, but leaning over the cold metal railing for a better look, she could tell from their lack of shooting that they were arguing.

“Fighting during an active battle with each other and not the droids is something I didn’t think we would ever need to teach a cadet,” she grumbled under her breath.

She ran a hand through her buzzed lilac hair, trying to calm herself from the growing anger that was developing in her core.

The Citadel Challenge was a textbook operation, something the cadets had been preparing for since the moment they could walk and definitely a simulation Vix could do blindfolded if needed to. So what made it so hard for these five “soldiers” to do the job they were bred for? 

From the corner of the barrier she watched as a cadet jumped in the line of fire with his Z-6, spraying an endless supply of blasts against the ever approaching enemy while the other clones slowly started to advance towards the tower. But almost as soon as they emerged from their hiding spots, each one was stunned by the droids until one clone was surrounded. Vix wondered how this lone trooper would face the enemy now that his squad was gone; a true soldier would continue on with their mission as long as they could and fight till their last breath. But all the clone did was drop his blaster and shoot his hands up in the air, cowardly surrendering to the squad of enemies that trapped him. 

A voice to her left shook her out of her trance, “Computer, end training sequence for Domino Squad.” 

Coming back to reality, she slowly pushed off of the railing and turned to regard the others that had watched the simulation with her. Jedi General Shaak Ti stood in front of the computer screen, stroking one of her long lekkus as she watched the cadets scrap themselves off of the training floor and exit the arena. El-Les and Bric stood opposite of the Jedi, both clearly struggling to contain their disappointment towards their students in today’s exercise. 

“Were you paying attention to anything we just said?” Bric growled as he turned away from the railing.

Vix waited for someone to respond before realizing that his question was targeted at her. “We have been discussing the obvious flaws of these clones and you have been too caught up in your little ‘day-dream’ to do your job”, Bric jeered as he crossed over to Vix’s position. 

“Bric, we shouldn’t discuss this any further tonight. Maybe Domino Squad will learn from their mistakes and give a better performance tomorrow,” El-Les cautiously said. 

Clearly whatever they had been discussing beforehand had already been heated enough by Bric’s disappointment in his trainees. El-Les shot her a look that clearly urged her not to say anything rash; but Bric’s bait was too delicious to pass up. 

“I was too busy doing my job and watching the train-wreck they call Domino Squad get their asses whooped to join in on your little conversation, _Master Chief,_ ” she quipped before returning to her original spot along the balcony rails. 

She could feel the anger surge in Bric as he took a step forward with the intent of lecturing her, but before he got a word out, the Togruta beside her whipped around to face the men. 

“Gentlemen, please excuse us. I would like to have a word with the Commander about the performance we saw today.” 

Bric looked as always like he was in the mood to argue, but thankfully El-Les had the common sense to not disobey an order from a Jedi Master, and gently turned the bounty hunter towards the balcony exit. The Master Chief gave one last glare to both the General and Vix before marching through the steel doors with El-Les trailing behind, leaving the two women alone. 

Even with the thickness of the dome’s structure, the gentle pound of rain echoed through the silence of the arena and for a brief moment, Vix was able to close her eyes and lose herself in the lull of the ever present storm on Kamino. When she had first broken the atmosphere on the stormy planet, she was amazed by the rhythmic waves and the ever present white-noise that sang her to sleep every night in her quarters. More than anything, she wanted to leave the noise of the rainfall undisturbed, but she knew the moment couldn’t last forever as she waited for Shaak Ti to reprimand her. But as the other woman turned to join her at the railing, she let out a sigh that sounded like she had been holding in from the moment the cadets stepped foot in the arena. They stood shoulder to shoulder watching 99 and the maintenance droids clean up the remains of the few droids Domino Squad had the patience to defeat before the General broke her silence. 

“Commander Phera, I can feel your frustration and obvious disappointment towards these cadets. What are you thinking?” 

Vix knew that lying was pointless to someone who clearly has open-access to your thoughts, but that didn’t make it any easier to be honest. 

“I can’t believe what I saw was a product of our division’s teaching methods. Clearly El-Les and Bric are doing something wrong if these are the troopers who are supposed to win this kriffing war for the Republic,” she took a deep breath before looking at the Jedi. 

“I’m sorry sir, I know that I have no right to question the teaching methods for the cadets. I just worry that if troopers like Domino Squad can make it to the frontlines, then these are the same troops that could one day become ARC’s.” 

Vix felt a wave of reassurance coming from the Jedi before she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. “I would not have selected you to lead the ARC training program if I wasn’t completely confident in your abilities. That is why I have asked that you look for potential candidates during these training simulations to see if they could one day meet the ARC standards.” 

Vix let out a sharp breath, “I understand that sir, and I am honored that you have that much faith in me, but when I look at a squad like Domino I see men, not soldiers.” Shaak Ti slowly moved her hand off of Vix’s shoulder, turning to fully face her. 

“Is that a bad thing?” “

The question stumped her, but Vix tried to not let the General see it on her face. The Kaminoans had been adamant that the clones were to be treated as military weapons, property of the Galactic Republic and the Kaminoan government, and not to be viewed as people. But from the moment she met her first clone, she hadn’t seen any evidence to prove they were similar to the mindless droids used by the Separatists. They were of flesh and blood, had different personalities, they in no way seemed like someone's “property”; but she reminded herself that these men would most likely never have the opportunity to lead normal lives. They live to fight in this war and serve the needs of the Republic; something that the members of Domino clearly didn’t understand.

“I don’t know sir, all I do know is that I was hired to do a job for the Republic and I will continue to do so to the best of my abilities”, Vix stated. 

She waited for a moment, studying the Jedi’s deep grey eyes for any sign indicating if she would offer a rebuttal, before she noticed a slight smile appear on her face. 

“I have no doubt that your apprehension is based on your dedication to your ARC program, but I do suggest the best way to discover your true feelings on this matter is by confronting them. Maybe taking the time to meet with Domino and figure out what causes their lack of cooperation will help them become better men AND better soldiers.”

Before she had the chance to argue, the other woman had turned and began exiting the balcony to return to more important duties than reassuring the young woman. Vix gave one last look down on 99 as he finished clearing the training ground, before turning to exit the balcony.

* * *

Vix entered her department’s office still lost in thought over the performance she just witnessed. As the Head Commander of the Rancor Battalion and the ARC training program, it was her duty to not only oversee the training of the Republic’s elite soldiers, but identify future candidates that may one day have the honor to replace their CT designation with the ARC. As a former bounty hunter, it was also her duty to do the job as she was hired; not ask questions or disobey orders, and get compensated for her work. She had never truly questioned the work she was doing; she knew her reputation and her skill as a fighter clearly was good enough to have gotten the prestigious job posting.

At 23, she was one of the youngest commanders in the entire GAR and one of the only people who had real say in its daily operations, but that wasn’t why she had accepted the role. She herself didn’t really understand why she accepted it in the first place, but seeing her three fellow commanders sitting at their respective desks, nose deep in datapads helped her tuck those worrisome thoughts about herself away for another day. They were all wearing their grey uniforms like she had today, each sporting the GAR standard haircut and rigid posture of a soldier ready to fight at any moment. Looking at the chrono on the wall and noticing how late it was, she realized that they had been waiting for her return for a debrief about today’s exercises.

Having noticed she entered the room, all three men looked up from their work to acknowledge their superior. 

“So I can see that the squad gave quite the performance today, huh Commander?” Blitz asked smugly as he leaned back in his chair. 

“Doesn’t protocol dictate that you are supposed to stand at attention whenever a commanding officer enters a room?” Vix cooly responded as she walked over to her desk. 

“Like you have ever made anyone but the cadets follow protocol,” Blitz joked as his two brothers softly chuckled from their seats. 

Vix couldn’t hold back the smile that began to form, as they all knew this playful banter was a sign of love and respect within the Rancor Battalion. Just in the short time they had been together, the men had accepted her as one of their own and treated her like family; something she never had the luxury to experience before. 

“Well boys, all I can say is 99 should get five pods ready because the maintenance department is about to get some new shinies,” she said as she eased into her chair. 

“Oh come on Vix’ika, they can’t be _that_ bad. The ‘long-necks’ would never have allowed cadets to reach the end of their training if they didn’t show some sign of competence,” Havoc said as he stood and walked over to her desk. 

She loved it when they used that nickname. Whenever the clones used Mando’a openly, it made her feel accepted knowing that they were relaxed enough to ignore the strict rules the Kaminoans implemented. That somehow she was worth the risk of being reprimanded for speaking the secondary language and not in the GAR required Basic. 

Havoc leaned against her desk looking every bit like the protective older brother he was, with his usual aura of concern. All of the men knew she was more than capable of fighting her own battles, but the way her three commanders cared for her made her extremely grateful to work with the GAR’s finest. Vix had learned quickly that even with the same genetic code, every clone was unique in their own way and these subtle differences were what made work so rewarding for her. 

Havoc was the perfect soldier; always obeying orders and knowing the importance of duty to the Republic. But the moment you needed someone to talk to, he would drop anything and everything to be there for you. When Vix started leading the program, it was Havoc who made her feel welcomed and got her to drop her guard down just enough for the other commanders and bounty hunters to work with her every day. 

Blitz was, in another life, a lady’s man. Always charming and smooth but with a hint of pride that in the battlefield made him a fearless warrior, but off-duty made him the perfect friend to get a drink with. With his yellow and grey diamond shaped markings on his armor, he looked like quite the showoff around the facility; maybe because he knew how good that kama and pauldron looked on him. 

Colt was a reserved man but when he opened his mouth he had quite a bit to say. Vix would usually let Colt reprimand the cadets not only because he would strip them down and build them back up, but some part of her knew it helped him ease the stress he was under. All three men had been at the Battle of Geonosis and had lost so many brothers just in their first campaign, so they took the training of new clones _very_ seriously. Together the four commanders made the perfect team, crafting the perfect soldier and hopefully leading the Republic every day closer and closer to victory.

“Maybe tomorrow during their final examination, I’ll let all three of you yell at Domino Squad for making me watch their pathetic campaign,” Vix offered as she started typing on her datapad a few notes in the unit’s files. 

Colt let out a slight chuckle, he knew if she was allowing all three of them to rip these boys a new one, then their performance must have been atrocious. But he also knew that deep within Vix’s hard exterior, she truly wanted each trooper to succeed on the battlefield. It was the quality the Rancors valued most in this woman; she knew the price of war and wasn’t afraid to show it.

“Well, I for one am looking forward to seeing the squads tomorrow morning. I just hope Domino performs as badly as you claim; don’t want you looking like a liar, Vix’ika,” Colt slyly said over to Vix before turning off his datapad and began organizing his desk.

The other commanders tried to contain their laughter at the sly comment, as they all began shutting down the equipment in the office while Vix patiently waited for them at the door. When they were done, all four commanders began their walk down the bright white hallways toward the housing dome. Thanks to their rank, they didn’t stay in the communal barracks and instead each had their own apartment that looked out on the turbulent gray ocean. As they made the short walk, they gossiped about recent rumors circulating within the ranks and made plans to regroup back in their office at 0600 before the final exercise was conducted. When they reached her door, each trooper gave a farewell before walking to their respective homesteads further down the hallway. 

As she walked in, the lights flickered to life and washed the apartment in the artificial glow Kamino was known for, one she would never be accustomed to. While she loved the unstable nature of the constant storms outside her window, the sterilized architecture within the domes left little to be desired and felt so impersonal. Not that Vix truly ever had a home before, but the bland nature of her quarters offered no promise of warmth or belonging. She really shouldn't be complaining about the space; for just one person it was quite nice.

The front door opened to a short hallway with a large closet on the side faced opposite to the kitchen. The quaint kitchen featured everything you would need to fix a variety of meals, as Vix always elected to eat in the silence of her apartment instead of out with others. She was too tired to cook anything this late, so she pulled a ration bar from her little kitchen and moved out in to the living room where a giant bay-window looked down on the crashing waves below.

She sat on her windowsill, still obsessed over the training course as she gnawed absently at the bland bar. She didn’t know why her mind was stuck on these five cadets, but her gut instinct told her that they had something more to offer. Whether that was as possible ARC candidates or not she did not know, but she knew she needed to keep an eye on them.

After finishing her quick meal, she pushed off of the window to guide herself into her bedroom. Her room matched the colorless style the rest of her apartment shared, but had a large refresher to the side and a queen-sized mattress that was the most comfortable bedding she had ever slept on. She methodically stripped herself of her grey uniform down to her undershirt and underwear and placed them in her hamper, before she turned off the lights. She silently found her way to the other side of the room, slipping under the scratchy blanket on her bed. As sleep slowly weighed down on her eyelids, the last thought she had was that if Domino Squad disappointed her again, then not even the Maker could protect them from her wrath.


	2. Day of the Final

For the first time since she arrived in Tipoca City, all Vix wanted to do was to stay home for the rest of the day. 

Sleep eluded her all night, plagued by nightmares and memories of her past that left her drenched in cold sweat. She knew it would be impossible for her to fall back asleep, but lying in bed and trying to keep the dark thoughts at bay was proving to be easier said than done. Looking at the chrono on her nightstand, she decided that if she couldn’t lock herself away from her duties for the day then she might as well have an early start. She slipped out from under the covers and slowly walked into the refresher, feeling the cold durasteel floors beneath her feet. 

One of the luxuries of living on Kamino with the endless supply of water was having normal showers, not the sonic ones that were found on all starships in the naval fleet. Turning the water on as hot as she can stand, Vix undressed and opened the shower door, stepping into the large space. The boiling water felt amazing against her tired muscles, she closed her eyes and felt the ever-present ache in her neck and shoulders slowly loosen. She applied soap into her short hair, using her long calloused fingers to scratch swirls against her temples, before she washed the rest of her body. She rinsed off and turned off the water, grabbing a towel as she stepped out and wrapped herself up. She walked out to the kitchen, turning on the caf machine and started to gather the ingredients for her breakfast as the caf pot filled with the dark spicy roast. Once her food was ready, she poured herself a cup and moved over to the couch with her meal, still wrapped up in the slightly damp towel. Living alone had the perk of privacy and although some mornings Vix wondered what it would be like to wake up with another presence beside her or share a routine with someone else in this apartment, she valued the ability to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. 

She ate her breakfast as she watched the clouds rolling in over the horizon, ready to start a new day of endless rainfall just like how she needed to start getting ready for the day ahead of her. She took her empty dishes back into the kitchen, before returning to her bedroom to get dressed. 

When working a standard day out of the training rooms, her uniform consisted of the standard grey uniform used by both clones and Republic officers when not in an active battlefield. But today, Vix needed to present herself as the leader she was and hopefully showcase an aura of intimidation that tells the cadets she means business. She pulled her black armor out and set it on the bed, separating the pieces of plastoid and gathering her shirt and pants before putting on her undergarments. Vix turned towards her floor-length mirror, always loving to watch herself slowly transform from a young woman into a warrior as she dressed every morning . Without her clothes on, the pale white of her skin showed every nook and cranny of her strong, yet lean muscles and she could almost be described as “perfection incarnate”, if not for the multitude of scars that littered her body. 

Being half-Umbaran and half-human, she inherited many of the alien species traits, most of which had been toned down on behalf of her human DNA. Her eyes were a soft blue, not a piercing white that could look right through a person’s soul. Her cheeks and bone structure were defined but made her look attractive and powerful, rather than ‘other-worldly’. And her lilac buzzcut allowed her to focus more on battle strategies and recruitment, rather than makeup and hair care. Her entire life, Vix has noticed the way people have looked at her; women envy her and yet hate her for her looks and men have made it very clearly what they would like to do to her if they had “alone time”. So everyday as she dressed, she tried to focus on not making people lust after her; she wanted them to fear her. 

She pulled up her tight black pants, buckling them in place before she pulled over her long sleeved black top. From there, she pulled over her black chestpiece and tightened the straps around her before adding her vambraces and communicator, finally slipping on her knee high black combat boots. The outfit alone made Vix feel intimidating, but hooking on the holsters that held her dual DC-17’s and her DC-15A nestled in her thigh holster made her feel indestructible. With one quick overview to make sure she didn’t miss any part of her armor, she exited her apartment and headed towards her office.

She arrived an hour before the rest of the team would clock-in, so she took the opportunity of the quiet morning to finish some paperwork and write proposals for the reg and ARC manuals. So caught up in her work, she didn’t notice the three troopers who sauntered in the office door in their full armor, helmets tucked alongside their hips.

“Mornin’ Commander, seems like someone was eager to start their day,” Blitz joked as he sat on Vix’s desk, shooting a shit-eating grin down at her. 

“Well the only time I get to do my job is when I’m not busy cleaning up after you _di’kuts_ ,” 

“Oh so she’s got her sharp tongue out today huh? Better hope Domino doesn’t need a good lecture today,” Colt said as he shoulder checked Havoc beside him. 

“I’ll let y’all do the talking this morning, we can save my pretty little voice for any _real_ punishment that might come these cadets way later,” she joked as she stood up from her desk.

“Alright Rancor Battalion, let’s go in there and see if any of these ‘men’ have what it takes to impress us, let alone me.” All three troopers softly chucked at their Commander’s remark as they donned their helmets and followed Vix as she led them out towards the hangar of the training complex.

* * *

When they reach the hangar, Bric and El-Les are waiting for them. Sparing the fake pleasantries, the four commanders move to stand at ease shoulder-to-shoulder while the two men call via their communicators for the squads to join them. A moment passes before twenty cadets march in and stand at attention within their respective unit; Bravo and Domino in the front, Delta and Omega in the back. El-Les moves to stand next to the commanders while Bric steps forward, “Gentleman, who wants to be an ARC Trooper?”

“I do, sir,” the cadets respond in unison. 

“You have to pass your final test first. I want you to meet Commander Colt of the Rancor Battalion.” With his introduction, Colt strides forward looking as prideful as ever as he starts his long-rehearsed speech. 

“I want you troopers to remember, we’re shoulder-to-shoulder on those front lines. Brothers. And sometimes we may quarrel, but no matter what, we are united. Rule one, we fight together. So, who’s ready to step up first? Let’s start with the unit that ran the practice test in record time. ARC trooper time.” 

As Colt moves over to acknowledge Bravo unit, Vix hears the whispers of a trooper coming from the unit she is currently facing. 

“Think he means us, boys?” 

“Bravo Unit, step up. Show an ARC trooper how it’s done”, Colt says from the side. 

The whispering trooper continues, “well, _bravo_ for Bravo squad. Come on boys, maybe we can learn something.” 

Vix turns her gaze from Bravo unit to look at the group in front of her, “of course it’s someone from Domino speaking out of turn,” she whispered to herself. 

All of the cadets turned in formation and began filling into the training complex with the instructors and Rancor following behind, with Bravo entering the arena doorway and the rest of the units taking the lifts to the stadium catwalks. Bric led the group of instructors to the lift that took them directly to the main balcony where they had watched Domino training the day prior. Seeing that Bravo had taken their starting positions, Colt moved towards El-Les who was manning the computer. 

“Start the Citadel challenge, version THX, variable 1138.” 

Even with their helmets on, Vix could feel the mischievous glances Blitz and Havoc were giving her by her side; this version was their favorite when they wanted to see grown men cry. But immediately Bravo sprang into action defeating the droids around them, barely showing signs that the simulation was any harder than cleaning their blasters. Within a minute of the exercise, one of the unit members had already scaled the top and collected the flagpole, ending the exercise. 

Vix was slightly impressed, she did see areas of improvement and didn’t like the thought of troopers speeding through the training courses, but it was definitely a breath of fresh air after the train wreck she witnessed last night. 

“I’m impressed. You trained them well. Who’s next?” Havoc asked as he looked towards Bric. “The Domino Squad,” Bric answered. 

“And how are they?”

If they were alone, Vix would have playfully punched him in the shoulder for asking the rhetorical question of the millenia, but hearing Bric scoff at the question made her realize that she would much rather punch this bounty hunter than one of her men. The group watches as Bravo exits the arena and Domino takes their place, and after resetting the simulation, blaster fire ignites between the two enemies. 

Immediately it is apparent to Vix that while there has been a _slight_ improvement since the night before, the group is quickly being overwhelmed by enemy fire. The unit breaks apart as each clone runs in a different direction and one is gunned down off of a ledge, landing hard on the floor below. Vix holds her breath as one of the cadets rushes to his side for a brief moment before him and the rest of the unit abandon their fallen brother. 

This makes Vix’s blood _boil._ Disobeying orders and protocol is one thing, but leaving a fellow soldier behind is unforgivable. She slams down on the computer screen, turning on the arena lights and shutting off the droids down below. She doesn’t even speak a word as she turns and storms off of the balcony nor does anyone need to hear her express her disappointment. She trusts her fellow commanders and bounty hunters to inform Domino of the grave news; they have failed their final test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is a shorter chapter! Hopefully I will post a chapter once a week but I might post more regularly! Stay on the lookout! ;-)


	3. Bad Impression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone so far for reading! This is honestly the only thing keeping me going through quarantine, so I'm glad y'all are tagging along this train to angst-ville!

Vix enters the training room already in the process of discarding her chestplate and armor, taking a moment to throw them on the floor before reaching down and pulling her black shirt over her head. She unhooked her holsters and placed all three of her blasters on a bench in the corner of the room before turning to face one of the many punching bags that littered the room. After what she just saw, she needed to clear her head and let all of her aggression out quickly before she exploded on those cadets. She felt guilty for leaving her team behind to watch the other two groups and handle the final decisions, but she would find some way to make it up to them later.

She doesn’t even bother wrapping her knuckles with tape before she is throwing the first punch at the bag; just being able to hit something immediately lifts some of the anger off her shoulders. With each hit, the frustration slowly chipped away as she moved through basic stances into more complicated moves, releasing all of her stress into the already worn leather of the equipment. With a swift downward kick the leather skin tears, pouring white sand all over the training room floor. Vix slumps down to the floor with her knees to her chest and focuses on the sand slowly trickling onto the floor. 

“Are you okay, Mistress?” A small voice asked near the training room door. 

She lifted her head expecting to see some trainee witnessing her meltdown, but instead found 99 peeking through the doorway. 

“I’m okay, 99. You can go, I’ll clean up this mess,” she said as she stood up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. But instead of leaving, 99 went to pick up her shirt and offered it to her with a smile that tugged Vix’s heart. She graciously took the shirt and put it on before she kneeled down to pick up the torn sack.

“Mistress, I know it’s not my place to pry... but does this have anything to do with Domino Squad?” 99 asked as he went to the comm box on the wall to summon cleaning droids. 

Vix let out a long sigh as she responded, “yeah 99 it’s about them. Not only did they disobey the mission orders, they left one of their own men behind. One of their brothers! How could they make such a stupid mistake during their final?”

“I know my brothers and they would never do that intentionally. I think they were so focused on impressing you and the other instructors that they got a little ahead of themselves,” he offered a rag for her raw hands before gesturing for her to sit with him on a nearby bench. As they both sat, 99 gently took both of Vix’s hands in his. 

“Vixus, I know from what you have shared with me about your past that watching one of my brothers get left behind must have been really difficult for you. But I promise you, just like I am always here for you, my brothers will do whatever it takes to prove themselves to you.” 

Even though she has only known 99 for about a month, she trusted the clone with her life; maybe even more than her Rancor boys. 

Her first sleep on Kamino had been plagued with relentless nightmares, so she had left her apartment to explore the sterile maze of her new “home”. 99 had found her wandering the luminous hallways of the clone genetic banks as the maintenance droids assisted him in their nightly cleaning duties, but instead of lecturing her about trespassing in a restricted area, he offered to give her a full tour of Tipoca City. That night as they walked up and down the length of the artificial city until the break of dawn, Vix slowly started to open up to the kind-hearted clone about her past, her fears, and her ambitions. Since then, she has always come to him whenever she has needed to vent about work; knowing that she will never get an ounce of judgement in return for her actions or opinions.

Vix wanted nothing more than to hug her dear friend now, but in fear of maintaining her dignity nodded in response to his comforting words just as the cleaning droids arrived to take away the remains of the punching bag.

“Thank you 99, I know you will always be there for me. Your brothers should be honored to have someone like you looking out for them.” As she stood up, she gave 99 a weak smile before collecting her discarded belongings and returning to her apartment.

* * *

After a brief shower and a ration bar, Vix sat in her living room with her datapad looking at the notes the rest of her team had written for each of the four training groups. Bravo, Delta, and Omega all passed their finals and their graduation dates were set with deployment orders pending, while Domino had officially failed and had a transfer order filed for maintenance by Bric. A new notice from Shaak Ti had been added minutes prior, granting Domino one last chance to complete their final in the morning. As she reviewed the notes, her comm chirped to life with a new message and she set down her datapad to accept the notice. 

_Vix:_

_Meet me in the training complex hangar to discuss the results of today’s final and the upcoming graduation ceremony._

_-Bric_

Vix groaned as she read the message; she was in no mood to handle Bric’s bluntness. But she knew she didn’t really have a choice, so she sent quick notes to her men granting them an early leave for their shifts as an apology for her behavior earlier. She had slipped back into her black shirt and pants after the shower, but had discarded her bulky armor by the door with the rest of her gear.

_Eh, I don’t feel like strapping all that back on again._

She found her boots trapped underneath her pile of gear and strapped them on, heading out her apartment door.

As the doorway to the hangar opened, Vix saw the black outlines of two men standing near the edge of the bay door opening. One of the men was shouting, causing her instincts to kick in as she pushed herself up against a nearby pillar to silently observe the interaction. The harsh tone of the shouting was clearly coming from Bric, but the other voice was unknown to her. 

“You’re just pushing me, sir,” the second voice said as he faced Bric’s backside. 

Vix knew that it was a clone’s voice but it sounded different; like he had El-Les’s accent? 

“No, this is me pushing you,” Bric said as he turned and advanced towards the clone. “Come on, clone. Hit me. Hit me, you joker. Can’t take anything seriously, can you?” Bric shoved the clone again and again, but the man never shoved back. Bric swiftly jabbed into the clone’s stomach, “you’re a real cutup, aren’t you? Come on!” 

Vix saw red as she stormed out of her hiding spot to approach the two men. “That’s ENOUGH,” she yelled as she shoved Bric away from the downed cadet. 

The clone laughed quietly to himself as he struggled to get up, “thank you, sir.”

“For what?” Bric grunted as he swatted Vix’s hands off of him. 

“For my name, Cutup. I like the sound of that.” One of his knees started to buckle just as Vix grabbed a hold of his waist and swung her arm around her shoulder to support him. 

“You and I will discuss this little _incident_ tomorrow but know, if you EVER hurt one of the cadets again, I’ll make sure the troopers use your corpse for target practice,” Vix warns Bric before her and the clone turn to leave the hangar. 

She can hear a litany of expletives emitting from Bric as they walk away, but tonight isn’t the night for their slow-building brawl. The tension between the two has been brewing for quite some time, and she knows the only way to move past this is not with words; but fists or blasters. 

As her and the cadet slowly limp down the white hallways towards the barracks in silence, she wonders what she could possibly say to ease the tension of what just occurred. She looks over to see what squad color is imprinted on his armor before she recognizes the green markings of her “favorites”. 

_Of course someone from Domino was stupid enough to meet with the Master Chief alone._

The barracks have always felt to Vix like an endless canyon, stretching down the endless white hallway and closed in by a skyscraper of sleep pods on the left-hand side. The channel was mostly empty this time of night; most men were either in the barrack showers or had already turned in, resting as much as possible before training started again at 0600 sharp.

“My unit’s sector is just ahead, ma’am,” the clone finally croaks out as he points to a row of lockers, leaning his entire weight against the commander’s shoulder. 

_Ma’am? How hard did Bric hit this guy? And honestly what the kriff is with this accent?_

Where the injured man pointed to, a lone cadet sat on the floor as he scrubbed the parts of a disassembled DC-15a blaster before he noticed the two figures approaching him.

“Well well well, CT-4040. Didn’t take you for much of a lady’s man, where did you find this lovely little creature?” The cadet joked as he glanced up.

 _These di’kuts! Do they honestly not know who I am? Maybe I’ll play a little game with them…_ Vix debated as she carefully lowered CT-4040 down on the nearby bench.

“First off Fives, the name’s Cutup now. Second, this angel just so happened to see me and Master Chief in a bit of a…”disagreement” and was so gracious to accompany me back to the barracks after I gave him a good hit or two,” Cutup proudly stated even as a wave of pain flashed in his lower abdomen.

Vix decided she was going to teach these boys a lesson, as she softened her stance and put her hands low on her hips.

“Oh yes, he was so _brave_ and _strong_. I’ll have to tell the Rancor Battalion all about how heroic you were; they might even make you an ARC Trooper!” Vix purred as she batted her eyes at the two cadets.

“That’s why you l thought you looked familiar! You’re the civvie that works with Rancor right, like a secretary or something?” Fives exclaimed as he stood up to face Vix head on.

“Oh... something like that.”

Of course all clones looked the same, but each had their own unique qualities and personalities that made them stand out from one another; it was part of Vixus’s job to see these subtle differences in each trooper. Cutup looked like your typical clone with his regulation standard haircut and his rigid posture, but everything about Fives screamed confidence. He faced Vix with his arms folded in front of him and his weight leaned on his right hip as his eyes traveled up and down the length of Vix’s body; looking more like a flirtatious guy at a bar than a disciplined soldier. Just as Fives started to inch closer, voices appeared behind her as she turned from Fives’ lingering gaze. Three cadets were deep in conversation as they walked up, before one noticed the strange guest with a panicked look in his eyes.

“COMMANDER!” he yelped as he snapped into a rigid salute. The other four troopers saluted on instinct and waited at attention before realizing who the first trooper was talking to. Seems like Vix’s little game was over, for now.

“At ease, men,” Vix commanded as she dropped her flirtatious facade and shifted into her normally stiff stance with ease. The five men remained frozen as Vix slowly circled each individual around the room, before coming to face an embarrassed Fives.

“I didn’t realize that each squad needed to have me _personally_ introduce myself before they respected my leadership. I’m Commander Vixus Phera, Rancor Battalion leader and Head of ARC Training for the Grand Army of the Republic. Cadet, I am curious how you failed to recognize me when I entered the barracks; was your dick getting in the way of your judgement or are you actively trying to piss me off?” Vix barked to Fives. 

The first clone that had noticed her interjected for his flustered brother, “Well I recognized you sir because I have read the reg manuals for ARC training and I paid attention at the meeting earlier today when you were introduced.” Vix shifted her head slightly but did not leave her spot in front of Fives.

“I wasn’t asking you, cadet. And don’t name drop the reg manuals when I’m the one who wrote them. What are your names?” she inquired.

“CT-14-”

“Drop the formalities and give me your names. Clearly if you’re comfortable enough to flirt with your superior officer, then you should be comfortable telling me who you are.”

“Echo”

“Droidbait”

“Hevy”

“Cutup”

“Fives,” the clone winced out as he avoided looking into the commander’s blue eyes.

“Well boys, Cutup here found out the hard way what happens when you disappoint Master Chief with the pathetic performance you gave today. Does anyone want to find out what happens when a trooper mistakes me for some lowly secretary?” Vix challenged, enjoying the nervous glances the cadets threw each other.

“Apologies, sir. Bric must have hit me pretty good in the head, sir,” Cutup stumbled to cover up his mistake from before.

“N-o...no sir, that mistake will never be made again, sir,” Fives pleaded as his squadmates realized what must have occurred before their arrival.

“Aw good boy. Now, I read on your squad’s file that you have been granted a retake of your final from General Shaak Tik to occur at 0800. I will be watching your performance with great interest. Also, if one of you leaves behind another trooper again, I will make sure the word ‘droid lover’ is tattooed on your forehead faster than you can disassemble a blaster,” Vix quipped as she slowly stalked towards the barrack exit to return to her apartment. As she left she could hear the troopers frantically ganging up on Fives as he struggled to defend himself.

“It’s not my fault she is so kriffing hot!”

“Well it’s not my fault you don’t know who our commanding officers are!”

“Shut up, Echo.”


	4. The Request

“I can’t believe these _di’kuts_ actually passed the test.” 

Havoc whispered to Vix as the cheers below them from Domino Squad echoed off the paneling within the massive dome, but she tried to ignore his sly comment. 

She didn’t want to admit it, but Domino’s performance was quite impressive; maybe ARC trooper impressive. Even with the obvious manipulation of the course by Bric, the five cadets somehow found a way to reach the tower in a sea of droids without leaving anyone behind. Bric, El-Les, and Shaak Ti clumped together on one side of the balcony reviewing the results on the main computer screen as Vix and her commanders leaned against the railing on the other side.

“These clones are very impressive, Bric. You must be very proud.”

_I did NOT just hear the General praise Bric like that, did I?_

“Thank you General, I guess they turned out better than expected,” Bric nodded.

“I’m sorry, are you fucking kidding me?” 

Vix knew this wasn’t the time or place to lash out against the Master Chief, but she wasn’t going to let this asshole get praised after his behavior last night in the hangar.

“You pretend to be proud of this squad when you’re kissing the General’s ass, but you’ll hit one of them when no one's around?” Vix hissed at Bric, just as El-Les’s hand landed on each of their shoulders.

“ _Please_ , let us maintain our professionalism in front of the General, at least for now,” he pleaded as he struggled to push the two bounty hunters away from one another.

“No why don’t we finally settle this, Phera. From the moment you arrived, you have blatantly ignored my command, argued with every decision I have made, and disgrace the legacy of Jango Fett with your pathetic excuse for ARC troopers. Well tough shit Phera, _I’m_ your superior and it’s time you were reminded of it. After the graduation ceremony, let’s just fight it out, you and me; bounty hunter to bounty hunter,” Bric threatened as he shoved Vix roughly. 

A growl formed in Vix’s throat as she lunged towards Bric, but Blitz grabbed her around her waist to stop her from killing the other bounty hunter where he stood.

“ENOUGH!”

Everyone froze and turned to face the order’s origin, as the General stepped in between the two bounty hunters.

“Bric, is it true you assaulted one of the Domino cadets?”

Bric crossed his arms as he looked away from Shaak Ti, giving the woman enough clue as to what his answer was before she continued.

“You and I will have a discussion about your alleged behavior. Vixus, El-Les, and the Rancor Battalion; please oversee preparations for the ceremony later this evening. And next time we will control our emotions and handle disagreements in a calmer, more civilized fashion, won’t we?”

Vix pushed aside Blitz’s arms around her and led the rest of the group off of the balcony; leaving Bric and Shaak Ti behind. As soon as the doors shut, El-Les let out a long sigh.

“Vixus, if you keep this up Bric will actually kill you one day,” he cautioned as they headed towards the lifts.

“Good, maybe for once Bric will prove that he is more than ‘all talk and no game’,” she deadpanned.

Colt turned to face Vix as they entered the lift, “Sir, I think you need to take his threat seriously. It is no secret the two of you have never gotten along, and it’s just a matter of time before the two of you have at it.” 

“I agree with the Commander. Bric did not receive the title of Master Chief playing the rules of the game; I must caution you that he will do whatever it takes to maintain the level of authority he has now. Hurting a cadet was a risky move, but not enough to get him disciplined or fired.” El-Les cautioned as the lift slowed near the level his office was located on.

“Just please promise me that whatever you do can wait until AFTER the graduation ceremony later tonight?” He asked, stepping out and turning to face the group.

“For you El-Les, I promise,” Vix vowed as she gave her colleague a slight smile. Her and El-Les weren’t close by any means, but she always respected his patience with her and the seriousness he poured into training the cadets. El-Les returned the smile just as the lift doors closed and continued the descent towards the next intended level.

“Are you actually going to keep your word, Vix’ika?” Blitz pushed the head commander’s shoulder as the other two ARC troopers shot each other knowing glances.

“Why trooper, I am absolutely crushed by the assumption that I won’t keep my word!” Vix dramatically accused as they exited the lift towards their office.

“However you decide to kick the Master Chief’s ass, we will support ya 100% sir,” Havoc joked as he pushed the keycode into the door panel before the door swooshed up to grant them entrance. 

* * *

The next few hours were filled with completing the paperwork that would enlist each clone into active duty, officially marking each of their files as cadet graduates. The ceremony that night was purely pomp and circumstance for the troopers; something to mark the end of their 10 years spent on Kamino and the start of their service for the Republic. The three ARCs had removed their helmets and had shed the upper layers of their armor, looking more relaxed than Vix had seen them in recent times. The four commanders sat at their desks with their datapads in comfortable silence, occasionally speaking up to discuss recent reports from the HoloNet or share gossip about fellow colleagues. Vix handled Bravo’s files, while Havoc did Domino, Blitz worked on Delta and Colt had Omega; they wrote copious notes on each cadet’s files before listing them as ‘active duty’ and selecting their first posting.

Finally Colt sighed loudly from his desk, rubbing his screen-tired eyes as he turned towards the rest of the team. “Alright _vod_ , ceremony starts in an hour. Let’s finish up so we can head to the mess beforehand.”

“Actually why don’t the three of you go ahead, I’ll finish up and meet you down in the hangar later,” Vix offered. 

Just as she saw each one of their mouths open in protest, Vix held up her hand. “Please, think of it as a thank you for keeping me from bashing Bric’s face in earlier,” as she flashed a devious smirk.

The three men let out knowing chuckles as they stood from their respective desks, Blitz striding over to lean against Vix’s chair. “Don’t work too hard, Vix’ika. Just sign them off and have the shinies sent to the most boring posts in the GAR,” he said as he rubbed her buzzed hair casually. Vix playfully swatted his hand away, and the three men redressed in their armour before heading out towards the officer’s mess hall. 

All four of the commanders had private kitchens in their quarters, but the clones preferred the communal feel of the mess (and it’s not like the Kaminioans ever offered cooking classes). Vix never liked eating in the mess, preferring to cook alone in her small kitchen; letting the smells engulf her and wash the stress of the work day off her shoulders. Usually when she was focused on work she neglected her eating habits, but maybe she would grab a protein shake from the office fridge before she went to the graduation. As she pulled up the remaining uncompleted files, a small knock echoed off of the office door.

“Enter”

As the door slid open, she looked up to see Fives dressed in his red cadet fatigues, as he slowly entered the space and came to stand right in front of Vix’s desk; shooting up a rigid salute.

“Well, I was wondering when, more like if, you would turn up at my door after the little performance you gave me last night in the barracks.”

Vix watched as the clone continued to stand at attention, letting the uneasy and nervous energy build up within him as she slowly scanned him up and down before deciding he had enough torture at the moment.

“At ease, Fives. I guess congratulations are in order on graduating, I’m glad Domino Squad heeded my warning last night and worked together. Is there...something I can help you with?” She always tried to implement an ‘open-door policy’ with her ARC troopers, but no newly-minted soldier ever had the balls to pay her a visit.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion, sir. Thank you, sir, for all you have done for my unit, but sir I…”

“Fives, it’s literally just the two of us. Please don’t annoy me by calling me ‘sir’ every other word, just call me Vix.” Vix joked as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms close to her chest. Fives let out a ragged breath and flashed a small smile as his shoulders relaxed.

“Pull up a chair and tell me what’s on your mind,” as she gestured to Blitz’s nearby desk. 

Fives grabbed the back of the rolling chair and pushed it to the same side of the desk that Vix was sitting on. As he sat down, he scooted the chair close enough that their knees almost touched; something Vix didn’t mind as she had slowly gotten used to it. 

To say the clones were touch-starved was the understatement of the millenia and in the past month of living on Kamino, she learned that the clones have no sense of personal space and are constantly in physical contact with each other. Before she arrived, physical contact was absolutely taboo for her. And while it still made her slightly uncomfortable, she knew the men around her were extremely respectful and would never use their touch against her. Fives shifted nervously in the chair as he struggled to meet her gaze.

“Comm-Vix, sorry. Um, I would like to apologize again for my behavior last night. It was extremely unprofessional of me to act like that and I of course knew who you were, it just took me a moment to recognize you without your armor on.”

“I accept your apology, Fives. But that isn’t the real reason you came here.”

“You’re right… I was just wondering if you could do me and my squad a favor. Which I know is a lot to ask given our past behavior and me acting like a total ass, but still I thought I would ask.”

“Hm, I guess it depends on the favor. What would you like from me?” she inquired.

“I know it’s a bit much, but I was wondering if there was any way that Domino could be shipped out together? To the same posting? I just know Rancor is in charge of our first shipments,” Fives finally stammered out.

“This is a highly unusual request, Fives. Especially since I thought you and your squadmates couldn’t stand each other?”

“I know we have our grievances, but something you said last night really got to me and I just can’t shake it,” he said as he rubbed his neck nervously.

“Oh? And what was that?”

Fives was silent for a moment, as he finally looked up to meet Vix’s gaze directly. “I just...don’t want to leave any of my vod behind, ever again.”

When she looked into his eyes, her stiff guard absolutely melted. His light amber eyes swirled with regret and honesty, something she had rarely seen in her troopers before. She knew he was referring to leaving Droidbait behind during their first final, something that at the time had boiled her blood. But now as she looked at this man who she had berated after the fact, she knew she had to make it up to him. 

“I...will see what I can do. I can promise you that I’ll at least try, Fives.”

Fives looked at Vix in a way no one ever had before, like she was one of the legendary angels she heard the smugglers talk about after they had a few pints. It made a confusing mix of emotions swell in her core, too many to pinpoint. 

_Hope? Gratitude? Longing?_

She locked those thoughts deep within her mind, hoping they would never resurface again. But as Fives leaned over to squeeze her knee in thanks, Vix knew it would be easier said than done. 

She cleared her throat, “well I will get right on it. Go get ready for your graduation, Fives”.

Fives’ hand lingered for a moment before he gave a brief nod and stood up, returning the chair before leaving the office. 

Vix immediately grabbed her datapad and brought up the file on Domino Squad, scanning through the notes Havoc had written until she reached the bottom where the transfer orders were listed. Droidbait, Echo, and Hevy were to be transferred to the 104th battalion and Fives and Cutup were to be sent to the Coruscant to join the Guard. If she transferred all of them to an active battle unit, they could all be killed in their first assault. But if she made them all shock troopers, she might as well have made their lives a living hell. She pulled up the database for all open postings in the GAR, scanning each one for a possible replacement for them. As she looked down the list alphabetically she was starting to lose hope until she reached the ‘R’ section. 

_Rishi Station...doesn’t have any active conflicts, close to Kamino, and has a well-decorated Sergeant on base._

Vix knew that a posting like this might be considered the ‘most boring posting in the galaxy’, but she really didn’t have any other options. Keeping her promise to Fives mattered more, and she didn’t want to be liable for shipping them off separately to their immediate deaths, so she refiled Domino under the Rishi posting and submitted the request. Feeling satisfied, she quickly finished up the remaining files for the other cadets and headed down to the hangar.

* * *

When she arrived, Colt, Havoc, and Blitz stood clustered around each other discussing some new type of blaster being introduced in the frontlines. Vix tried to not notice Bric and El-Les entering the hangar, carrying the chest containing the graduation medals. Bric kept his distance, which was fine by Vix.

_Hopefully Shaak Ti grilled your ass earlier._

El-Les pulled his wrist comm upwards and pressed on one of the buttons, alerting the units that the ceremony was about to begin. A moment later the hangar door opened, as each unit entered and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, forming four rows one after another. Bric held open the chest and pulled out five medals, handing them over to El-Les before he stepped in front of Bravo Squad.

“You have proven yourself worthy of the Republic and we hereby declare you fit for active duty,” El-Les proclaimed as he pinned each medal over the trooper’s heart. Once the last medal was secured, the soldiers offered quick salutes before exiting back towards the barracks in silence. This continued for Delta and Omega, until Domino was the only group left.

“I must admit boys, I never thought you would see this day. But you proved me wrong and not many men get to do that. May you serve the Republic to the best of your abilities,” Bric huffed as he handed El-Les the last of the medals and shut the chest lid loudly. 

As El-Les pinned each medal , Vix couldn’t help but notice just how excited the five men were. The other three units showed barely any emotion through the ceremony, but Domino looked like kids in a candy store. Once the last medal was pinned on Fives, they offered a quick salute before all five men cheered as they hugged one another. Blitz let out a small whoop, before he was elbowed by Colt in the side. 

As the rest of the squad started to filter out of the hangar, Fives turned to face Vix from afar and offered a warm smile. He seemed so hopeful, so thankful, so hungry to go out into the galaxy and serve the Republic. Vix wondered unconsciously if this would be the last time she would ever look at this trooper, if she had made the right decision in sending all of them to Rishi together. But as Fives turned away and joined his brothers, some voice deep within her mind assured her that she would see him again; whenever that would be.


	5. Master Chief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of violence, blood, suicide  
> Now we getting some longer chapters and it's about to go down!

It has been three months since the Domino Squad graduated and left for Rishi. 

For Vix and the Rancor Battalion, life continued on like normal; a new squad of troopers for ARC training and an endless supply of new cadets were graduating every day and shipped off to war. The work was intense and the pressure from the Republic Senate to send troops out younger and younger was weighing heavy on all of the trainer’s shoulders. Vix dispatched Colt and Havoc to assist El-Les with training while Bric searched the galaxy for more instructors to join their ranks. The Master Chief had been sent away immediately after Domino's graduation and has had no contact with the trainers since; clearly all part of Shaak Ti’s punishment for him and delight for everyone else. Even with him being off-planet, Vix knew the moment he would return he would finally strike. He probably assumed Vix had forgotten about their past grievances and would be vulnerable, but she knew better; she was always ready for a fight.

Blitz and Vix stood in a small domed classroom with their newest ARC group as they continued their long-winded lecture.

“Let’s go over this again, gentlemen. If your superior officer gives an order that risks the lives of every soldier with no reward, what do you do?” 

Vix was starting to get impatient as the five men gave her dumbfounded looks. A headache was starting to form that not even a full pot of caf could calm, so she held both of her palms over her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.

“Byers, what do you think?” Blitz asked as he moved to stand in front of the trooper.

This was the first trainee group Rancor had that didn’t include at least one trooper who fought at the Battle of Geonosis. This meant the ones who showed promise had already been trained and were out on the battlefield, or they were already dead. Byers was the youngest with no visible battle won scars, no tattoos, nothing that distinguished him from any standard clone. He had been in the 327th with Match and Intel when they were all promoted to ARC status, who both sat in the front row with Byers. Match had comically red hair like the top of his namesake and Intel had a tattoo on the right side of his shaved head that resembled a circuit board. Behind them were Tar from the 41st Elite, who had a thick black beard to match his dark curly hair, and Aim from the 21st Nova Corps, whose mohawk was currently held up in a sloppy bun. Byers’ eyes flickered between both commanders before he nervously spoke.

“Well… my duty to my CO outweighs anything and everything. It is what the reg manuals state is the right to do.”

Vix lowered her hands from her head to see all of the men contemplate this, “Yes, the reg manuals dictate that all orders given by a superior officer must be followed, but let me ask you this. Byers, I read in your file that you and Aim were batchmates, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Byers responded.

“When you were both here on Kamino training, what would you have done to protect him from harm?” she asked.

“I would have done anything for him, he is my _vod_ and one of my friends,” he stated as Aim affectionately pushed his shoulder from behind.

“So why is it the moment you graduate and go out to the frontlines that changes? _This_ is the point I’m trying to get across to y’all; sometimes your duty to protect your fellow soldier outweighs the needs of the few in leadership. You are NOT mindless droids; you have the ability to think and act independently from one another and for yourselves. The morality of this war will test you and you may interact with Generals who do not value the life of a clone. But to protect each other is to protect the possibility that one day this war _will_ end and that the Republic will be victorious.”

Vix glanced at the chrono on the wall and let out a gentle sigh, “I will leave you men with that final thought. Training will resume tomorrow at 0700. You are dismissed.”

The five troopers stood up and saluted before they quickly exited the room towards the direction of the mess hall. Vix grabbed one of the desks and eased herself into the chair as she propped her elbows up to cradle her head.

“Well, at least we know this group knows how to read,” she sneers as Blitz settles into the desk beside her.

“Come on, Commander. That technically _is_ the correct answer, at least in the eyes of the Republic and the ‘long-necks’.” Blitz responded.

“ _We_ wrote the reg manuals so we _know_ that it’s the correct answer. But I want these troopers to be better than the manuals. I want them to be better than soldiers who blindly follow orders.” Vix said as she raised her head to look at her companion.

“You know as well as I do, that us clones were created solely to fight in this war for the Republic. We like to follow orders, it’s in our blood. But we also have the common sense to know the difference between right and wrong. They didn’t breed us to be dumb-asses ya know.”

“I know! Maker, you’ve gotten real bratty since I sent your brothers away to El-Les,” she joked as she watched him stand up and walk over to her. 

He flashed a crooked grin and offered her his hand, “trust me Vix’ika, I just do it to keep your wits sharp. Don’t want you getting soft on the ‘fresh meat’ now, do we?”

Vix grabbed his hand to help her stand up, before they both started to collect their belongings as they left the classroom. They make the quick trip back to the hallway of their quarters before they agree to meet again within the hour. Since Vix barely gets to see the rest of her team, she has started eating her meals with them in the officer mess. As Blitz breaks off to head home, Vix notices a small package is leaning against her doorway. She picks it up and starts shifting the small box in her hand to investigate before she notices the label taped to the side.

_Rishi Moon Outpost? Why would anyone from there send her a-oh! Domino is there!_

She opens her apartment door with the box tucked under her arm as she discards the rest of her gear and walks over to the couch. When she sits, she pulls the wings of the package open to reveal a small holocommunicator and a neatly folded cloth with a note pinned to it that reads ‘open after recording’.” She picks up the small comm and places it on the coffee table in front of her, pushing down on the center to start the pre-recorded message. The projector flickers to life as a clone trooper materializes before her, and for a moment she has no idea who it is. He has a faint shadow of hair gathering under his chin, and after squinting for a moment, can see the thick lines of a number on his right temple. 

“Fives?” she whispers to herself. 

_Of course he would get a tattoo of his number right where everyone can see it; proud bastard._ He looks...good. Slightly matured and more comfortable in himself, but still as youthful and vibrant as he was on Kamino. Once he knows his camera has begun recording, he shifts to stand casually and places his hands low on his hips before he speaks.

“Hey Commander. Sorry that it’s been a while, the communications tower was being repaired right when we arrived on base so anything not deemed ‘important’ couldn’t be sent out. Not that I don’t think you aren’t important, or anything…”

He takes a moment and moves a hand upwards to nervously fidget with his neck seal before he continues.

“Anyways, I just wanted to send you an update on us. As you can see, I started growing some of my facial hair out and I got this lady charmer not long ago,” as he points to his tattoo. Vix can only chuckle lightly as he continues.

“Hevy got a tattoo as well, but I honestly have no clue what it actually is. Droidbait is doing alright, mostly getting bossed around by the vets here. Cutup grew out his beard too, but I think he is trying to make himself look like Sergeant O’Niner. Now that’s a soldier right there! He tells us these crazy stories about the Battle of Geonosis and what it was like to be taught by Jango Fett, so he has been pretty talkative to us newbies. Echo I think loves being here. We really don’t do much, so he spends most of his time reading and trying to teach me everything he’s learned. Don’t tell him, but I actually really like it when he does it, unless it’s something about the regs then I just fully block him out. As for me, well…” Fives pauses and stares ahead, unknowingly looking right through Vix. Even though it’s a recording, she feels her heart jump when she meets his gaze and almost wishes the blue haze of the projector wasn’t there so she could see his warm eyes again.

“I’m just grateful that we are all together. Don’t get me wrong, I would love a good fight or two, but being here I can keep my brothers safe and that’s good enough for now. O’Niner always talks about how important our job is, how we are the first line of defense for Kamino against the seppies. I know that really doesn’t mean much...but if it can keep people like you on Kamino safe, then this posting is worth it.” He flashes a slightly melancholic smile and Vix wants nothing more to assure him, but knows she can’t.

“If it’s alright with you, I would like to keep in contact. This holocomm has a private frequency so you can record messages to us anytime. I’m sure the other boys would like to see how you are doing and make sure _di’kuts_ like Master Chief aren’t giving you a hard time. Oh I almost forgot! The other part of this package is just a thank you for everything you have done for me and my brothers; hopefully we make you proud. I guess I’ll talk to you later, Vixus.” He leans forward and touches something out of view, ending the recording.

Vix stares where his outline lay a moment ago. She didn’t want to admit it, but in the past three months when she tossed in her bed late at night, she thought of Domino Squad often. She would sit up in her room and peruse through their files, trying to learn anything and everything about them. It had seemed like they were doing ok on Rishi; no sign of Separatists or local conflict and no complaints filed by their Sergeant. But she found most of the time she would focus on one clone in particular. Sometimes, she would pull up his identification picture and stare, trying to imagine what him and his brothers were doing at that moment. Were they safe? What did they do in their free time? Did they still like being together? Thinking about him would sometimes be the last thought on her mind as sleep finally overcame her. She had written it off as being protective of the ‘runts’ in the GAR, but now knowing they thought of her in return made her heart clench. She looked down at her armor, making sure nothing was out of place before she hit the holocomm to record.

“Fives... it’s nice to hear from you. I’m glad that Rishi has been working out for y’all, even though it’s not a glamorous posting. There honestly wasn’t any other option to send all of you together, but I figured this was better than being split up. I’ve heard wonderful things about O’Niner, I didn’t train him of course but he is highly respected within the GAR and that’s enough for me to like him. I guess since you left, I’ve been...busy.” Vix felt stumped for a moment on what to say next, but decided ranting about anything was better than continuing her awkward silence.

“We started a new training class for ARC status, and so far so good. I was actually giving them a hard time today about taking the reg manual too seriously, and you can tell Echo that applies to him too,” she slightly smiled before she continued. 

“I was telling them that their duty to their brothers and their duty to the Republic are one in the same. I hope they understand that...I know you of all people do. Anyways, Kamino is raining as always and busier than ever but that isn’t anything the Rancors and I can’t handle. Please keep in contact, it’s nice to hear that the work we do impacts you out in the real world. Until next time, Fives.” 

She turns off the holocomm and sends it off back to the frequency Fives had used before. Even if they sent some messages back and forth occasionally, it felt nice to have someone to talk to that she didn’t work with or consider part of her ‘family’. 

Vix reaches back into the box to pick up the wrapped present, unraveling it slowly as she starts to feel a hard object emerge through the cloth. She pulls back the last bit of material to reveal a gold medal; the base is a polished star attached to a green ribbon and is quite simple in design. But in the center of the award was a small ruby, illuminated by the living room lights and reflecting red shards of light across the ceiling.

_He gave me his graduation medal?_

There was something about that realization that made her breath hitch and her core tighten, but it was soon interrupted by a knock at the door.

_I didn’t realize it had already been an hour. Maybe Blitz wants to head down to dinner early._

She carefully rewrapped the medal and placed it back in the box along with the holocomm before she headed towards the door. But as the door flashed open, the butt of a blaster struck her directly in the temple and she fell back towards the floor with a heavy thud. She tried to push herself back up, before the blaster slapped her across the jaw and her consciousness snapped out.

* * *

Awareness slowly eases through Vix’s body as her consciousness returns; immediately greeted by the Maker of all headaches. 

She attempts to reach up to massage her temple before realizing she can’t move her arms. She gradually opens her eyes to the piercing brightness of her living room and realizes she is sitting upright in one of her chairs, and feels the strain of the rope holding her hands behind her back. She spots a small blood stain drying on the front of her shirt, probably from her nose which she definitely now feels based on the throbbing is broken. Her memory quickly starts putting the pieces back together to help her evaluate the situation as she starts squirming in the seat trying to loosen the restraints.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice cautioned.

A figure walked into her slight lines and immediately every fiber of Vix’s body boiled.

“Bric.”

“Figured since I finished the General’s assignment early, it was finally time you and I had a little ‘chat’.” Bric grabbed a chair and positioned it in front of Vix, sitting down and casually propping a leg up over his knee.

“I swear when I get out of these restraints I-,”

“What? What will you do, Vix? Continue to disobey my direct orders and make me look weak in front of the clones? You’re no better than those test-tubed freaks.”

“Those _soldiers_ are better _men_ than you will ever be, you sack of bantha fodder,” Vix grits as she stops squirming in the chair.

“Like you would know, you disgusting mutt. I should have known the moment I found you on Umbara that you were as defective as these ‘science experiments’ the Kaminoans created.”

As Bric insults her, Vix feels a weak point in the knot and slowly begins to loosen her hands from the coarse rope as she starts to formulate a plan of escape. 

_Ok, this should be pretty easy. Just keep him talking and eventually you will get out and kick the shit out of this guy._

But Bric reaches down to his holster and pulls out a blaster pistol and points it towards Vix, resting it lazily on his knee.

_Well kriff me._

“Now here is what’s gonna happen, _mutt_. You were so ‘miserable’ and ‘frustrated’ with your pathetic life that you couldn’t take it anymore and decided to end it all. Thankfully the oceans of Kamino are so treacherous that no one can make a 10 story jump and live to tell the tale. Even went ahead and wrote a little note for everyone to read, because they'll never find your body at the bottom of the ocean.”

“You won’t get away with this, you kriffing asshole,” Vix taunts as she feels the ropes finally loosen up enough to slip her hands out.

“Best part is, I already have,” Bric raises the blaster off of his knee and points it, only a foot away from her chest.

Just as he pulls the trigger, Vix kicks upwards towards the gun and causes the pistol to blast upwards into her ceiling light fixture; plunging the entire apartment into darkness. She frees her hands and grabs the back side of the chair, swinging it overhead directly on top of Bric. The bounty hunter is knocked away by the blow as pieces of both destroy chairs litter the floor around them. Vix stumbles towards the apartment doorway as Bric grabs her ankle and trips her. He drags her body as he stands upright and flings her back towards the living room area as she slams hard into the side of her coffee table. Bric picks up the discarded blaster from the ground and fires in her direction, almost grazing her as she rushes to safety behind her couch. He eases up on the blasts as he slowly walks towards her hiding spot.

“Come on Vixxy, Vixxy. Show me how much of a ‘fighter’ you really are. Not some weak coward that’s ‘bout to die.”

“Well you asked for it, ‘Master Chief’,” she growls as she dives behind her opponent. 

Bric barely turns fully around before Vix takes a running start and tackles him, thrusting both of them through her large bay windows. As they fall, they both wrestle for the blaster from one another until hard durasteel cushions their fall. 

The air snaps out of Vix’s lungs as every pain receptor flashes in her mind, struggling to recover her bearings. She roughly rolls over onto her stomach as rain pelts her from above, seeing the faint outline of a ship docked through the curtain of rain.

_We landed on a docking bay, thank the Maker._

She barely gets to her knees before a blow to the jaw knocks her back down. Bric stands before her, blood trickling from his mouth and nose as he lands punch after punch before Vix can counter his attack. 

“You are weak. You are a disgrace to the galaxy. Your name will be forgotten in the wake of this war,” taunting as he straddles over her bloodied body. 

Vix turns her head slightly to see the pistol laying just feet from her. 

Summoning the last of her strength, she gives a sharp knee to Bric’s crotch; causing him to roll off of her as she scrambles to the pistol. Finally touching the grip of the cold wet blaster, she lifts it towards Bric as he starts to lunge at her and fires three rapid shots, all hitting him in his side. He looks down towards his entrance wounds before looking up to meet Vix’s gaze as his knees buckle and he slumps to the floor. The moment he hits the ground, sirens blare around the landing zone and bright overhead lights turn on as troopers clad in grey and white armor run towards their location. Vix tosses the blaster away as the world around her starts to spin and her consciousness fades away into a blur as she clumsily leans back down on the durasteel. The last thing she hears over the alarms and yelling of troopers is the rhythmic pound of rain on the nearby structures and the distant echo of the gentle thunder she loves so much.

* * *

The smell of bacta and antiseptics floods her senses as she slowly awakens, tightening her stomach as she inhales. The sterile lighting blinds her briefly as she struggles to open her eyes, still heavy from sleep, before taking a moment to slowly adjust. She could tell she was in a private medical room, with a holocaster near the foot of her bed and a small refresher near the entrance. A low sound catches her attention as she turns her head towards the wall where a small white couch sat. Blitz, Colt, and Havoc were slumped together in a pile as they each softly snored, only wearing their black body gloves, with piles of their plastoid armor littering the floor around them. She watched each one of their chests rise and fall softly, before Blitz slowly started to stir and met her eyes.

“Vix!”

He shoved his brothers, earning grunts in return, and threw himself off the cushion to lean against the hospital bed before Colt and Havoc joined on the other side.

“Hey fellas,” she hoarsely greeted as she sat up. Colt reached over to her bedside and handed her a cup of water as she slowly took a long sip and handed it back to the clone.

“Vix, are you alright? You had me and the boys real worried,” as Havoc sat on the edge of the bed.

“I think so, my head is kriffing killing me. How long have I been here?”

“A week, you were in a bacta tank for a while before they brought you here,” Colt answered.

“And Bric?”

“You really did a number on him, but he’s alive. Currently he’s in Republic custody awaiting transport back to Coruscant to be court-martialed. Based on security footage of him at your door and eye-witness accounts from the docking bay, it was clear he was to blame and not you,” Blitz grabbed her shoulder gently as he responded.

“Well maybe next time I’ll aim for his head,” Vix joked as a flare of pain gripped her side. 

Colt helped ease her down to her back and pulled the covers back over her arms, “maybe next time don’t get your ass kicked, Vix’ika.”

Havoc and Blitz slightly chuckled as all three gently patted Vix before moving from the bed.

“Are you boys leaving me? Sick of taking care of me already?” she said as her eyelids began to droop again.

“We will never leave your side, Commander. Never,” one of them answered as she drafted back to sleep.

It took another week before Vix was cleared to go back to work and could go back to her apartment. During that time, Bric had been found guilty in his trial and was given a life sentence at the high-security prison on Coruscant. Having been offered the role of Master Chief, El-Les respectfully declined and instead asked for Vix to receive the promotion and new title. Now as Vix prepared to return to work, she would be incharge of the entire training program on Kamino; both ARC and cadet.

As she entered her apartment, she was relieved to see that droids had clearly cleaned up her place and replaced the glass panels on the window. She discarded her belongings and shoes at the door as she entered the living room space.

_The last time I was here, I thought I was going to die._

The intrusive thought shook her, as she had never really felt that vulnerable before. Even as a young bounty hunter she would have a scuffle once in a while, but never had she come this close to knocking on death’s door. She pushed the thought aside as she plopped down on her couch and examined the room for any sign of the previous destruction, before her eyes drifted to her datapad lying on the coffee table. As she picked it up, the screen awoke to reveal a multitude of work messages and emails that needed to be sorted. She briefly looked through them, setting some aside for immediate response and others to be looked at in the morning. As she swiped through, her final notification listed a recording had been sent to her holocomm.

“Shit, I completely forgot about Fives. Where did the droids put that box?”

She looked around from her spot on the couch before she noticed the box resting on her kitchen counter, along with the other items that had once been resting in the living room. Getting up from the couch, she opened the box to find the comm and the medal still inside, and she moved to sit back down. She pressed the center of the comm and the image of Fives appeared before her.

“Hey Vix, glad to hear from you. Sorry if I sounded like I was complainin’ about Rishi, I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. With the new ARCs, I completely agree with what you were saying. Before, I didn’t realize the importance of being there for my brothers…” Fives looked down shamefully from the camera as he continued.

“But you showed me the value in supporting each other. That’s a lesson that I will never forget, Commander. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be in the next ARC group,” he gives a playful wink to the camera.

“Stay busy for me, Maker knows I’m not doing anything right now. Hope to hear from you again.”

The holo sizzles out, leaving Vix alone once again.

It had been two weeks since her first message, and she realized how her radio silence might have been concerning for him. Vix unconsciously began to straighten her shirt and fix her appearance before she realized how awful she probably looked. The last time she had seen her reflection in the mirror, she had been covered in small cuts along her face and bruises riddled her translucent skin. What would Fives think of her appearance? Would he care about her being hurt? Would he even care at all? Dismissing those confusing thoughts, she pressed the holo to record as she sat up on the cushion.

“Hey Fives, sorry I haven’t messaged back in a while. You can probably tell from the cuts on my forehead and the bruises that Bric and I had a little…’situation’. As of two days ago, Bric has been sent to spend the rest of his life in a Coruscanti prison and you are now speaking with the new Master Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.” Vix couldn’t help being a little boastful. It felt unprofessional to brag to her men or to El-Les and it’s not like she has anyone else in her life that would be proud of her accomplishments. So now she gets to openly feel excited for her promotion to a new...friend.

“Anyways, life will probably get really crazy for me so my messages might not come very often. But please don’t stop sending them. Tell the rest of Domino I said hello and oh! Thank you for the gift, it really… meant a lot, actually. Um… so until the next time, stay safe trooper.”

That night as Vix got ready for bed, she removed the medal from its wrappings and placed it under her pillow; maybe for safekeeping or maybe to bring her good luck. Part of her just felt safer knowing that the gift was close to her, that she had someone who felt close to her. And it was the first night in months that sleep came easily and remained undisturbed until the morning.


	6. Rishi Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AYO a Fives chapter because our boy needs some time to shine

  
  


Never in a million cycles would Fives ever imagine that he would be leaving Rishi on a LAAT/i gunship, as the outpost below burns to the ground. 

Not that Hevy hadn’t openly fantasized about ways to destroy the base as they laid in their barrack bunks, but in those scenarios all five members of the Domino squad would leave their postings together; today only Fives and Echo walked away from the desolate moon.

Fives clung to the above handgrip with his left hand as a medic quickly wrapped his right arm in a basic sling; they would give him proper treatment for the blaster wound on his shoulder once they got to a medbay, wherever the hell they were going. Echo stood beside him in the ship, eyes slightly glazed over as the last of the adrenaline from their firefight began leaving his system. He was covered with mud, ash, and the dried eel blood splattered on the front of his armor, but none of that seemed to bother him as he stared blankly at the ship wall. 

Fives didn’t have to ask him what his brother was feeling because he felt it too; grief. Grief for their sergeant, grief for the other rookies on the base. But mostly grief for their three fallen squadmates. A small part of Fives believed that maybe if he hadn't asked Commander Phera for the group transfer, his brothers would be alive right now. 

A hand gently grabbed Fives’ shoulder, getting his attention only to find Echo giving him a sad smile. “I know _vod_ , I know. But this wasn’t your fault.”

Fives both loved and hated how Echo could almost read his mind at times and know that he was thinking about the transfer order. He knew it wasn’t his fault that Rishi was attacked, he desperately wanted to believe that, should believe that. But for the life of him he couldn’t convince himself right now. 

Echo could see the conflicting emotions on his brother’s face but said nothing, only continuing to hold onto Fives as the gunship broke through the shield generator of a Republic cruiser and gently landed on the hangar tarmac. Captain Rex and Commander Cody exited the ship first as the side doors swung open, revealing two men deep in conversation surrounded by a small group of soldiers on either side. As Fives and Echo stepped out of the ship, they saw Cody and Rex saluting the two men before they began discussing something in hushed tones, too low for the rookies to hear. 

Fives gazed around the interior of the hangar bay, which was bustling with activity from nearby mechanics and pilots as they worked on nearby starfighters. Troops clad in both blue and orange armor marched through the open space as they bragged about recent droid kills and shared battle stories among one another. This was the type of excitement any trooper wanted in their life, the constant hustle of war and the ever-present thrill of fighting the seppies.

_This is exactly what Hevy always wanted._

The thought hit him hard, as he drew in a shaky breath and his vision began to blur with unshed tears, but Echo rested a hand on his shoulder and snapped him out of his mourning. The four men in front of them finished their discussion and turned to walk towards the two rookies; both Echo and Fives offering an automatic salute and standing at attention.

“At ease, men. After everything you two have been through today, it is us who should be offering our respect and gratitude,” one of the men gently said.

Echo and Fives shot each other the side eye quickly before looking again at the men.

“I am General Kenobi of the 212th, and this is General Skywalker of the 501st. Oh behalf of the Republic, we thank you for your valiant service, and we honor your comrade’s sacrifice.”

“Your new unit is lucky to have you. I’d be proud to fight beside you anytime, anywhere,” said General Skywalker as he handed Rex a small box.

_New unit? What the kriff are they talking about?_

Rex opened the box to reveal two medals and stepped forward to place one on their chest, “congratulations, you’re not shinies anymore.”

So much was happening all at once and it was slowly coming clear to both clones on what exactly was going on as Echo spoke.

“With all due respect, sir, we failed our mission. We don’t deserve this honor.”

“No, if it weren’t for you, the Republic wouldn’t have learned of the Separatists’ invasion until it was too late,” Cody interjected.

“You showed me something today. You’re exactly the kind of men I need in the 501st. Welcome aboard, boys.”

Rex offered a salute which was returned by Fives and Echo as the troopers on either side began to disperse from the brief ceremony.

“All right, the Resolute will be making a stop near Kamino so we can rendezvous and debrief General Shaak Ti on the invasion plot, and then we’ll head out for another mission,” Anakin said before him and Obi-Wan headed out of the hangar, leaving the four clones alone.

“Let’s get both of you to the medbay and clean you up before you get settled in.”

Cody and Rex led the two troopers out of the hangar and through the maze of hallways that eventually revealed the medical wing, eventually standing outside of the main doors.

“Go on in, I’ll have someone in the 501st come get you to show you the barracks once you’re done,” Rex gestured to the door then turned to exit the hallway with Cody by his side.

Fives and Echo entered through the main opening to see two clone medics overlooking a datapad next to an occupied cot. The medical bay was relatively empty, no major battle wounds or missing limbs present. Even the trooper currently laying in the cot looked on the mend as he spoke cheerfully to the two medics before noticing the two rookies standing at the door. Following the injured clone’s gaze, one of the medics turned around to face the newcomers, “hello, what seems to be the problem?”

“We just came from Rishi Outpost, my brother was shot in the arm by a droid. The field medics wrapped it, but he still needs it patched up,” Echo touched Fives’ injured shoulder lightly as he guided him closer to the medics.

“I got them Bolt, you stay with Broadside and let me know if anything changes,” one of the medics says as he guides Fives and Echo to the other side of the bay. Echo sits on one of the cots and faces Fives on another as the medic gently unwinds the wrappings on Fives’ shoulder. The trooper’s hair was...unique. Sharp geometric lines had been shaved into both sides of his buzzed haircut, showcasing a tattoo on his left temple.

_A good droid is a dead one? Man, and I thought I hated clankers. Clearly not as much as this guy._

“I’m Kix by the way. I don’t think I have seen ya on the ship before.”

“I’m Fives, and this is Echo. We just got reassigned to the 501st from Rishi.”

“Oh I’m 501st too, same as Sergeant Bolt over there. We’re the field medics for the legion. Sorry about what happened on Rishi, I read the casualty report.” Kix gave a sympathetic smile as he pulled down the top of Fives’ body glove to examine the wound.

“Thank you, Kix. We really appreciate it. But we’re just glad to leave the moon in one piece,” Echo said as he relaxed slightly on the cot.

“Well if there is anything you need, let me know. The 501st looks out for our _vod_ , and you’re officially one of us now.”

Fives wanted to acknowledge the offer, but the sting of an alcohol swab grabbed his attention as Kix finished cleaning up the wound and placed a bacta patch on his shoulder.

“Okay you’re all set, Fives. I’ll comm someone to come get you and take you to our barracks.”

Kix walked away from the two clones and once out of view, Echo switched cots to sit right next to Fives as he pulled his body glove slowly over the clean bandage.

“Can you believe the day we have had, _vod_? I woke up thinking the most exciting thing we would do was a facility inspection and now we’re decorated soldiers in an elite legion? Talk about luck!”

“Echo, we lost some good men today. How can I feel happy when something like that has happened and it was my fault for putting them there?”

“Fives, you gave us extra time to be together as a squad. I would never have had the balls to approach Commander Phera with that transfer request and yet you somehow did it! Even though Droidbait, Hevy, and Cutup hated that outpost as much as you and I, they were grateful that Domino didn’t get split up. I believe that with my whole heart, and so should you.”

The moment was interrupted as another clone approached the cot; he had a long scar running alongside his left eye, and had the red medic symbol painted on both shoulder plates. 

Both Echo and Fives stood up to salute the trooper and waited for his introduction, “At ease, men. I’m Sergeant Coric, your new CO. I’m gonna take you to our squad’s barracks so you can meet everyone else. I see you’ve already met Kix, he is also in our group.” 

Kix had returned with a hypo in his hand, giving a wink in greeting to Coric before he quickly drove the needle into Fives’ neck.

“Agh, what the fuck was that for?” Fives yelped as his hand flew to the injection site on the side of his neck.

“That should help with the pain and inflammation as the bacta works its magic. Sorry for the surprise, didn’t know if you’d be afraid of needles or not; so I just went for it,” the medic explained with the slightest smile showing as he wiped the injection site with an alcohol swab.

“Good thing you did that, Kix. Fives is a big baby,” Echo mused as he leaned on the side of the cot.

“Shut up, Echo.”

“Alright boys, not that we’ve had our fun in the medbay, let’s get you settled in, yeah?” 

The sergeant began to head out of the room as Echo and Fives scrambled to keep up. The squad’s barracks were only a short walk away from the medical wing, which Fives assumed was intentional with having both a field medic and a medical officer in their group. 

Coric stopped at a grey door and inputted a short code on the control panel before it slid open. Standard issue bunks lined either side of the room, but the walls were covered in posters, art, and other trinkets, and the back of the room held a makeshift sabacc table and a private computer terminal. Three clones were clustered around the table talking, while one sat in what Fives presumed to be his assigned bunk, intently reading something on a datapad. To both rookie’s surprise, only the clone on the bunk stood at attention after noticing the sergeant, while the other three looked over to acknowledge the newcomers.

“Dogma I told you that when you are off-duty, you don’t have to follow this protocol nonsense, just sit back down.”

“Oh don’t waste your breath, Coric. ‘Doggie’ over there has already been harassing us about us saying Ahsoka’s name when we should be using ‘Commander’ everytime,” said the trooper with a massive tattoo of the Republic cog on the left side of his face.

Dogma huffed in disbelief as the three troopers at the table, even the sergeant, laughed while Echo and Fives were guided towards the others.

“Well here we are boys, it ain’t much but it is what it is. That’s Corporal Jesse, Hardcase, and Denal over there. That sourpuss on the bunk is Dogma, and we also just got two transfers from the 212th, Sketch and Chopper, but they’re currently on duty.” 

Fives and Echo nodded to each trooper as they sat around the sabacc table.

“So, I take it you’re a big fan of the Republic.” 

“Well I guess you’re a big fan of the number ‘5’,” Jesse countered.

“That’s actually his name; Fives. I’m Echo.”

“Well welcome to the 501st, both of ya. I think you’ll find that our legion is a little different than others, a little...unorthodox.” Jesse held out his hand to Fives and then Echo, both giving it a tentative shake.

“Unorthodox is being too kind, more like a regulation nightmare.” Dogma jumped off the bed to face the others, eliciting a groan of annoyance from the troopers.

“It’s okay Dogma, we all know how much you want to marry your reg manual, but the General knows what he’s doing, and clearly it’s been working out for us so far.” Coric offered, before Echo whipped around to face Dogma.

“You like the reg manuals? So do I!” 

“See Echo, there is another weirdo out there like you,” Fives jostled Echo by the shoulder, receiving a playful push back from his brother, before Dogma stalked up to them.

“Hey! There is nothing weird about liking the rules, they were created for us to follow them.” 

“Eh just ignore him, that’s what I usually do anyways,” Denal spoke up as he gave Dogma a mischievous gleam. 

Coric’s vambrace comm lit up with an incoming call, “Sergeant, have your squad assemble and meet us in the hangar to welcome General Shaak Ti’s ship.” 

“Well speak of the chaotic General and may he appear,” Hardcase whispered to Echo as Coric responded.

“Right away, sir. Alright men, there will be time for fun and games later so let’s move it.” 

  
  


This late on the ship’s night cycle, most troopers stationed in the hangar bay had already clocked out and returned to their quarters, leaving the expansive space cleared away for the incoming craft. Coric’s squad arrived to see the two Jedi Generals conversing with their seconds, as another squad sporting the gold markings Fives could now identify as a 212th color, stood in a straight line waiting for further instructions. The 501st squad joined suit and lined up parallel to the 212th, Coric guiding Fives and Echo to stand in the very back. It made sense, Coric in the front, followed by his second-in-command Jesse and the other members in the group ranked by seniority. But just because it made sense in a reg manual, didn’t make Fives feel any less nervous starting over in a new squad and having to be ‘babied’ by the others until he earned their respect.

A moment later, a small Kamino flight pod broke through the ray shield of the exposed hangar doors, settling slowly onto the tarmac. The circular ship rested for a second before the middle section of the ship broke off and lowered itself to the ground to act as a ramp for the passengers. Fives couldn’t really see from all the way in the back, but he could see the montrals of a Togruta peeking out of the ship, followed by someone dressed in black.

_Not a Kaminoan, definitely human sized, but who is that?_

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker broke away from the clones to approach the two visitors, bowing respectfully.

“Master Ti, thank you for taking the time to visit us.” 

“Master Kenobi, it is a pleasure to see both you and General Skywalker again. May I introduce our new Master Chief, Commander Vixus Phera of the Rancor Battalion.” 

Fives and Echo peeked out to the side at the mention of that name, and shot each other looks before continuing to stare at the woman with round eyes.

“Fives, look it’s her!” 

“Shut up Echo, I also have eyes that can _clearly_ see her too!” 

Putting it nicely, Vix looked...rough. The skin around her eyes were bruised and an angry red cut raised across her temple; she even walked with a slight limp as she stepped from behind Shaak Ti to offer a deep bow before she spoke. 

“General Skywalker, General Kenobi, it is an honor to finally meet you. Hopefully what you have to tell us about this attempted invasion will help us better protect the production and training of our cadets.” 

Thankfully neither Jedi commented on her appearance, as Anakin gave Vix a reassuring grin, “Yes, well there is much to discuss indeed, shall we?” 

The four began to walk in between the two squads, as Rex moved to Anakin’s side abruptly.

“General Skywalker, might I suggest we have two of the surviving troopers join in on the debrief, they can explain more about the events prior to when Commander Cody and I arrived.” 

“Great idea, Rex. Fives, Echo, come join us.”

Anakin gestured for the two clones to emerge from the back of the group. Taking a step out into the walkway, Fives noticed Vix’s confusion and surprise at the mention of their names, before she turned to face Obi-Wan.

“Wait, we were not yet informed that Rishi Outpost was involved in this Separatist invasion of Kamino.” 

Fives tried to get a read on Vix; confusion, anger, regret, and a letiny of other emotions swirled around her as her eyes darted back and forth from the Jedi and the two clones. He desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. Was she excited to see them again? Because right now her body language said otherwise.

“My apologies, Master Chief. The situation with General Grievous was dire enough to warrant this emergency briefing with little explanation, but I assure the events of today will be fully divulged soon enough.” 

That didn’t seem like the answer she wanted, but it was the answer Kenobi offered, as they continued to head out of the hangar. Vix briefly glanced to meet Fives’ gaze before sharply returning her eyes to face forward. Rex and Cody followed the endtail of the welcoming party, dismissing the two squads as Rex motioned for Fives and Echo to follow them. 

“Now gentleman, can you explain the events of tonight prior to Commander Cody and Captain Rex’s arrival?” 

Fives and Echo stood in a conference room in an unknown part of the ship, as the Jedi Generals and the Commander sat in sleek office chairs around a small conference table in front of them. Cody and Rex stood to the side by the door, offering encouraging looks to the troopers to speak their mind; something the Kaminoans drilled in their heads from birth not to do. Fives gave his brother silent permission to indulge himself in flexing report protocol, as Echo stepped forward to give them report.

“Yes, sir. At 1600, Sergeant O’Niner announced that an inspection team would be arriving shortly on the base. Following his announcement, a meteor shower was indicated on the scanners and outpost shields were raised, but it appears that they were not meteors, they were actually several large pods containing a squad of commando droids. We lost contact with the trooper on deck and after additional troops were sent to investigate, we were attacked. Most of the other troopers were killed, with only myself, Fives, Cutup, and Hevy escaping through an air vent out into the eel fields. Cutup was killed by an eel just before Commander Cody and Captain Rex landed on the docking platform. Not wanting them to walk into the droid’s trap, we set off a droid flare to alert them before rendezvousing with them after their immediate firefight.” 

As Echo spoke, Fives couldn’t help noticing how intently Vix would NOT look at him. She sat in the far back, glancing down at her hands neatly folded on the tabletop, not making any indication if she was actually listening to the report or not. Fives was growing restless for some sign of emotional reaction from her, some sign that she cared about the loss of Droidbait, Cutup, and Hevy. But then a thought hit him hard and squeezed his chest tightly; _maybe she never cared, about any of us._

Fives swallowed as he slowly realized all four of the officers sat quietly in their respective chairs, carefully digesting everything Echo had just reported. Shaak Ti lazily stroked the end of her lekku, deep in thought, before she looked back up at the two clones.

“Thank you, Echo is it? I remember talking to you both briefly during your finals.” 

_Of course someone had to bring up Domino’s failure at a time like this._

“Yes, General.” 

“And Fives, yes? Do you have anything you would like to add to this report before you are both dismissed?” 

Fives honestly thought he wouldn’t be called upon; that Echo could give the report for the both of them and be dismissed. But maybe something he could say would get a reaction out of Vix. A sign that she really did care. It’s what his fallen brothers deserved at least; to have someone who wasn’t a clone remember their sacrifice. 

He tentatively stepped forward and cleared his throat gently, “Actually sir, there is. I need all of you to know that our batchmates, Droidbait, Cutup, and Hevy, were brave soldiers who gave their lives to protect Kamino. They fought valiantly and if it wasn’t for their sacrifice, the lives of every being in Tipoca City would be at the mercy of the Separatists.” 

Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan shared a surprised look, while Anakin crossed his arms and smirked at Captain Rex with a nod of pride. But Vix seemed to close in more on herself as she pulled her hands from the table to cross her arms and lean back in the office chair.

_Dammit Fives! Can’t you do anything right?_

“Thank you, Fives. Their courage and valor will not be forgotten, I assure you.” Shaak Ti dipped her head in reassurance, as Anakin walked over and placed his hand on Fives’ shoulder.

“I can back the General up on that, we won’t let you or Echo down. Now if there’s nothing else, both of you are dismissed for the evening.” 

“Thank you, sir.”

Echo and Fives began to leave the conference room, as Rex and Cody replaced them to continue the debrief, but not before Fives caught Vix finally looking up to watch them leave. Their eyes met briefly before she glanced back towards the others in the room, and Fives couldn’t help the small grin that grew across his flustered cheeks as him and his brother headed back to their barrack.

Jesse, Hardcase, and Coric were still up when they arrived back in the barrack; the others snoring softly in their respective bunks. Fives and Echo sat with the three troopers at the makeshift table as they discussed previous 501st missions, Skywalker’s battle tactics, and the recent addition of his padawan learner to the legion. All of them gossiped about Commander Phera and speculated what had happened to Bric, but none of them had heard a full story to corroborate a speculative answer.

A rhythmic knock came from the door. Coric volunteered to answer it as the others continued their conversation. All Fives could hear from behind him was the swoosh of the door opening and the startled cry of the sergeant. 

“Commander!”

The word shook the sleeping clones from their bunks as every man in the room shot up to stand at attention.

“Hello, boys. At ease.” 

Every trooper stayed tensed up as Vix slowly walked into the room, studying the posters and ornaments that covered the walls.

“Um, Master Chief, how can we be of service?” Coric nervously asked as Vix ran her slender fingers over a particularly suggestive poster of a Twi’lek that was taped to the wall.

“I’ll ignore the contraband and restricted artwork y’all have in here, if I can speak with Fives and Echo outside.” 

All eyes flashed towards the new rookies, earning an embarrassed groan from them and a deviously pleased smile from Vix.

“Of course, sir. Fives, Echo, I’ll get your bunk ready for you while you speak to the Commander.”

The two men slowly crept out of the barrack behind Vix as the gaze of every one of their squadmates stared them down, until the door slid shut. Vix stood with her back still turned for a solid minute, which made Fives nervous as hell.

“Um...Master Chi-”

“Both of y’all probably haven’t eaten all day, let's go to the mess.” 

She interrupted and without waiting for a response, Vix strode down the hallway as Fives and Echo struggled to keep up with her.

Winding through the seemingly endless corridors, Vix pressed a door panel to enter what Fives presumed to be the mess hall. Only a few officers and troopers having recently switched with the night shifts sat at the various tables scattered across the large room. The three silently walked to the cafeteria line and selected their food before finding an empty table in the far back corner of the hall; Vix sat on one side of the table, with Fives and Echo on the other. Both troopers tentatively ate as Vix stared into the cup of caf she had poured for herself; all three purposefully avoiding eye contact with one another.

_So who's gonna talk first? You talk first? I talk first?_

Fives decided to look up at the woman and say something, anything, but noticed the heaviness behind her eyes as she slowly looked up from her cup.

“I had no idea about Rishi until I was in the hangar.”

“It’s alright, Master Chief,” Echo responded.

“Please, call me Vix when I’m not on duty. The ‘Master Chief’ title is already getting on what little nerves I have left.” She ran a hand around her short hair and down her face, sighing heavily before she continued.

“I’m truly sorry about your brothers. I hope you both know that I never thought Rishi would see _any_ conflict during this war. I thought by sending y’all there, not only could I keep your group together, but I could keep you safe. I failed to keep that promise to you, Fives.” 

Fives struggled not to reach across the table and grab her hand, why he wanted to in the first place he couldn’t say, but instead straightened up and leaned towards the table.

“Vix, I ne- _we_ need you to know that we are both extremely grateful for the time we did get to spend together with them. Even though none of us particularly enjoyed that place, I don’t think we would have traded it for all the credits in the galaxy.” 

Vix nodded her head slowly as she analyzed his words carefully. “I’m...glad, Fives. And it seems like even with this sorrow comes some joy; congratulations on your transfer to the 501st. General Skywalker and Captain Rex are lucky to have both of you.” 

“Thank you, sir. We are both honored to join their ranks.” Echo regarded.

“Good...that’s good.” 

It was pretty clear that Vix had something more to say, but something was holding her back. Fives wished he were a Jedi and could use their crazy force powers to see into the mind that was hidden behind her sharp cheekbones and mesmerizing eyes. Luckily for him, Echo seemed to pick up on _something,_ because he made a big show of slowly rising from the table and loudly grabbing his tray to break the silence.

“Wellllll it’s getting pretty late, I think I’ll head back to the barracks and get some shut eye. Thank you again, Vix, for everything. Fives, see you later.” 

Vix snapped back into reality and regained some of her composure. “Oh, of course, Echo. Have a goodnight.”

It took a moment to figure out fully what was going on, but as he watched Echo head out of the room he noticed his brother giving him a knowing wink before heading out.

_That sly, cheeky bastard._

Fives turned his attention back to Vix and realized both of them were noticeably more relaxed than before. He pushed the remains of his meal around on the tray as he cautiously spoke.

“So… am I just supposed to ignore the bruises and the whole ‘Master Chief’ situation or do you want to talk about it?” 

“I take it you didn’t get to see the holo-recording I sent last night?” 

Fives huffed, “Unfortunately no, we went to bed pretty early and O’Niner had us cleaning all day to prepare for the inspection. Why don’t you tell me everything now?” 

It must have been quite the story, because Vix took a moment to piece together something to respond with as Fives finished off the last of his supper.

“Well... to make a long story short, Bric and I finally had it out like two weeks ago and he is currently serving a life sentence in a Coruscanti prison for almost murdering me… so yeah, that’s pretty much everything.” 

“Huh, that makes it easy. Well congrats on the role, you deserve it.” Fives held up his water cup in cheers as Vix tapped her caf cup in return.

“Thanks, it’s going to be a big adjustment, that’s for sure.” 

Something about the way she said that sounded off to Fives. She almost sounded disappointed with the promotion, but why would she be? So many of the instructors that had taught Fives and his brothers for the past 10 years would kill to have an opportunity like this, and yet Vix sounded upset with the prospect of being Master Chief.

“Well, how big of an adjustment is it gonna be?” 

“I think... big enough, that along with you joining an active battle legion, maybe we should focus on our roles. Not that I don’t like receiving them, it’s just I think the holo-recordings might be a little distracting right now, ya know?”

_Oh, I’m the reason why. I must be too much of a hassle for her to deal with right now, or ever._

Fives sighed slowly as he curled in on himself and hung his head slightly, “Yeah, yeah I get that. Ok Vix, no more holos.” 

“Yep, no more…” 

Vix didn’t sound convincing as she looked back down into her now empty cup, but maybe he was reading too much into it. Fives felt too exposed now, too confused about her decision to end their contact but too tired to argue with her. He valued her enough to respect her decision and not be a burden on her work or her time. He nervously touched the medal still hanging from his chest piece, before he abruptly stood up from the table.

“Well um… it was great to see you again, Commander. I hope that the new troopers under your care are the best in the GAR. If you will dismiss me, I’ll head back to my barracks to rest.” 

Vix was clearly caught off guard by his sudden professionalism, “Oh, it was good to see you too. Of course, you are dismissed.” 

“Goodbye, sir.” 

Fives grabbed his tray and quickly headed out of the mess hall, leaving Vix alone. 

He wouldn’t know it, but Vix would stay at that table for a few more minutes, contemplating on the conversation as she continued to burn a hole in the empty caf cup she held. He wouldn’t know that when she finally found the strength to stand up and leave, she would finally notice the object resting on the other side of the table. As she leaned over to inspect it, he wouldn’t hear the shaky breath she drew or see the tears crowd her eyes when she realized that he had left another medal for her. And he wouldn’t know that later that night once she returned to her quarters back on Kamino, she would clutch that medal tight against her heart as she weeped for the fallen members of Domino.

Fives snuck through the doorway and found the empty bunk on the bottom he guessed was for him. As he slid out of his armor, Echo stirred in the top bunk and rolled over to face his brother

“Sooooo, what did Vix say?” he quietly purred as he leaned out of his bunk.

Fives stripped down to his blacks and slipped under the covers, pulling the blanket up and he curled on his side.

“Nothing _vod_ , nothing at all.” 


	7. Interrupted Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo yo yo a couple of things!  
> 1.) Chapters now have fun little titles  
> 2.) Tags are being updated now that some interesting things are happening  
> 3.) That fact that anyone has read this fever dream of mine is wild, so thank you so much for sticking around!  
> 4.) Check you clocks cuz it's smut time

Sunlight peeked out from the thin curtains and illuminated the pale ivory bedding in the room as Vix slowly opened her eyes. Curled up in her duvet, she burrowed herself deeper into the warm sheets as she slowly rolled her body to rest on her stomach and bury her head in her fluffy pillow. The sheets ruffled beside her as something moved, creeping closer until it was near her head.

“Good morning, _cyar’ika_.”

The speaker shifted under her portion of the duvet and she could feel their presence looming over her body. Vix gave a hidden smile into the pillow as the voice grew closer and unseen lips pressed a slow kiss behind her ear.

“ _Mesh’la_.”

Another kiss was pressed at the base of her neck, one at her shoulder, each separated with the Mando’a word as the keeper of the voice slipped under the covers and continued their journey down her body. The sheer material of Vix’s sleep tank was pulled over her head and tossed aside, giving the lips free reign over the expanse of her luminous skin. Each kiss elicited a relaxed sigh from Vix’s mouth as the lips sent tiny shocks of pleasure up her spine and her heart began to beat quicker. The voice kissed down her spine as warm hands gently grabbed either side of her hips.

“My love, what are you up to this morning?” Vix purred as the voice placed a wet kiss right where the band of her underwear sat low on her hips.

The hand placed on her right hip scooped around her and flipped her over in one movement, as Vix squealed in surprise. 

“Just tryna show my girl how I want to wake her up every morning for the rest of our lives.” The duvet hid the voice’s face, but she didn’t need to see them to know what was coming next.

“Now just lay back, Vix’ika. Let me take care of you.”

The large hand resting on her left hip dragged a long finger down her pelvis to feel the fabric of her underwear grow wetter with each second.

“Seems like someone is eager this morning,” the voice chuckled as their thumb lightly rolled Vix’s clit through the fabric. A shaky breath escaped her mouth as the finger teased over the spot while the pair of lips continued their painstakingly slow journey from her hips down to her inner thighs. Vix’s hips impatiently shifted upwards until a hand pressed gently on her taut stomach.

“Patience, _cyar’ika_. I want to make you feel so good, take my time.”

With their teeth, they gathered a small amount of fabric between their teeth and slowly pulled downwards, letting the now soaked underwear slide against the inside of her legs until they gathered around her ankles. A hand guided Vix to spread her knees apart and she could feel the point of a large nose nestle near her clit; long hot breaths getting closer and closer before a tongue met her folds.

Her head pushed back and her eyes slammed shut as the tongue made long, slow licks on the outer side of her folds and would teasingly hover around the edges. One of the hands that was wrapped around her thighs disappeared and a long, calloused finger pushed against her wet flesh; teasing her entrance.

The build-up was maddening for Vix, her heart beating out of her chest and high-pitched moans escaping from her mouth as the finger entered her and slowly began pumping. Based on the whimpering Vix was making and how wet she was becoming, another finger was added and the pumps became more rhythmic. The tongue circled around her clit, leaving hot wet kisses that sent electricity straight to her core. Her legs were starting to slick with sweat from the exertion and the warmth of the body pressed against her made her core feel unbearably hot. Using what little strength she could muster to focus, she grabbed the edge of the duvet and swung it over herself to the floor; exposing the phantom figure between her thighs. Curly jet black hair was buried in her pelvis, with a long-fingered, caramel hand clutching to her scarred ivory skin as it held down her bucking hips. The figure’s back flexed with massive muscles that rippled with each movement, as they quickened their handwork and they turned their head slightly upwards to face her. Their honey-glazed eyes glowed with hunger and Vix could see a line of sweat drip from their right temple, cutting across the tattoo that rested there.

“Fi…”

Her breathing was starting to become ragged as her muscles began to tighten.

“Go on baby, don’t hold back. You don’t have to be quiet, it’s just us.” The voice coaxed, sending vibrations through her folds as their head leaned back down to suck her clit again, this time not breaking eye contact.

“Ah, Fi-Fives!”

Her hands released the sheets and roamed down to grab fistfuls of the thick, black hair; her back starting to arch from the tension. It felt like every muscle in her body was on fire, moving without purchase or reason as the fingers inside of her curled upwards against the spot only they seemed able to reach.

“Fives please, I’m so close, please...”

“Go ahead pretty girl, come for me.”

The permission given by Fives was enough to feel her walls quiver and her gasps for air became staccatoed. She could hear Fives murmuring something, getting louder and louder as he continued to flex his fingers, drawing her attention away from the pleasure to formulate some understanding of what he was saying.

“Master Chief…”

_Why is he calling me that?_

“MASTER CHIEF VIXUS PHERA!”

She jolted from her chair and her eyes snapped open to see Blitz, dressed in full ARC armor, standing over her.

_Fives? Oh… definitely not Fives._

“Maker Vix’ika, we’ve been trying to wake you up for like the past five minutes. I didn’t realize using your full birth name would do the trick,” he roughly patted her shoulder as the fogginess in her awareness slowly started to dissipate and the realization sank in. 

The whole thing had just been a dream, and definitely not a bad one either.

Vix sighed, rubbing her eyes to adjust to the bright lights in the office. “Shit, did I fall asleep at my desk again?”

“Looks like it. Colt thought you were dead there for a moment but I knew better; nothing can take out the Commander. Him and Havoc went to go get you caf, in case you weren’t actually dead.” Blitz winked as he sat on the edge of the desk, earning an eye roll from Vix. She tried to focus on calming her still frantic heartbeat as Blitz shifted on the desk.

“So...what’s a ‘Fives’?”

The blood drained from Vix’s face as she stumbled to respond.

“What-what do you mean?”

“When you were sleeping and I was trying to wake you up, you kept murmuring ‘Fives’ over and over again. Do you know why?”

“No… I, um, have no idea what that means. I don’t even remember what I was dreaming about.” Vix was usually a great liar, but with the embarrassment of getting caught in this situation by someone she considered to be a brother, it was a little hard to sound convincing. Even Blitz could tell something was off, narrowing his eyes and scanning her while the office door opened behind them.

“See Colt, you owe me 20 credits. I told you she wasn’t dead!”

Havoc and Colt walked in each holding two steaming cups of caf, which were promptly distributed among the commanders. Both men were dressed in full ARC armor, holding their helmets tight against their sides as they walked over to the occupied desk.

“Sure Havoc, the moment the Republic starts paying us, you’ll get your credits,” Colt said sarcastically as he returned to his desk.

Vix took a long swig of the extra strong roast and tried to quiet her still racing heart from the lingering memory of her dream. Havoc took stock of Vix’s appearance and didn’t seem impressed.

“Shit Vix, you look like hell! When was the last time you went home? Took a long shower and slept in your own bed?”

_I wouldn’t mind a cold shower right now. Or continuing those ‘activities’ back in bed._

“It’s been… shit I don’t even know.”

Time had begun to blur together with the rotations flying by at lightning speed, thanks to her workload as Master Chief and pressure from the Senate to ship out more and more troopers before they complete their full training. She knew that since she received the promotion, she has graduated two ARC classes, one clone leadership class, and roughly 35,000 troopers, has reorganized the entire training program, and has officially lost her mind. 

After Bric was arrested, both the Republic and the Kaminoan government felt that the bounty hunters serving as instructors were too ‘high risk’ and promptly fired all of them, leaving Vix alone with her Rancors to train an entire army. Since then, most of her time has been spent replacing the instructors with Kaminoans and redeveloping the training curriculum to suit the less aggressive tendencies of the new staff.

Havoc walked around the desk and knelt down to look Vix in the eye. “Then let’s make a deal. We will go over the itinerary for the day briefly and then we are forcing you to go home and clean up. Maybe even take a nap.”

“You sound like a mom, has our big bad ARC finally settled down to take care of the younglings?” Vix tries to push off the concern, but Havoc wasn’t joking about the deal. She sighs and throws out her hand, “fine, I _promise_ to stop looking like a pile of shit before I go and do my job.”

Havoc wasn’t pleased with the attitude, but shook her hand anyways in agreement, standing up after to retrieve a datapad from his desk.

“Let’s see what’s planned for today, we need to observe a sparring session with the year fives and it looks like the one year anniversary of Geonosis is in two days so General Shaak Ti wants us to prepare a military demonstration for that.”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started on the anniversary. Inform the year five instructor to have the cadets ready in the sparring arena at 1100. Anything else?”

“Yeah, looks like the 501st and some 212th leadership are arriving at 1200 and we are to meet them in the hangar.”

At the mention of the 501st, Vix choked slightly on the hot caf as she struggled to maintain her composure through bouts of coughing.

“You alright there, Vix?”

“Yeah sorry, went down the wrong way,” she lied.

“Why are they coming here? Both groups haven’t placed in orders for more shinies, so why else could they be here? Something to do with the Geonosis anniversary?” Colt inquired.

“I don’t know, it looks like a last minute request from General Ti, but I’m guessin’ it must be something big.” Havoc shrugged and clipped the datapad to his belt, before turning back to face Vix.

“Alright, Commander. It’s almost 0730, go home and get some rest. We will meet you in the sparring arena at 1100.”

“Sure thing, mom.”

* * *

There was no way she could sleep now, the anticipation of seeing Fives again coursing through her skin like electricity with every second getting closer to the 501st’s arrival. After taking a long, scorching hot shower, she dressed into fresh blacks and set an alarm before slipping between the bed covers to at least relax before starting her work day. She would have killed for an opportunity to lay in bed all day before, but all that changed the moment she became Master Chief.

Every waking moment was spent working on _something_ ; a new manual amendment, another shipment order to restock a full battalion, overseeing the training of every babe, child, and man that lived in these domes; the list goes on and on.

It was becoming too much for one person to bear.

Not that Blitz, Colt, and Havoc hadn’t been by her side this entire time and worked as hard as she did, but they weren’t using work as a distraction like she was. They loved their jobs, were bred to love it, and had never once faltered in their performance or duty to the trainees. But Vix was running out of steam and the wall she had constructed to block the thoughts of a certain someone were starting to crumble.

The last time she had seen Fives was six months ago, when they had agreed to focus on their jobs and not on one another. It had been easy in the first few months to lie to herself that she didn’t think about him, using her new responsibilities and workload to distance herself from viewing herself as a woman with feelings, when she should be viewed as a hardened warrior of the GAR. But now as the changes she had implemented were set in stone and the daily routine started to feel mundane, her thoughts often drifted to the soldier.

_Was he alright? Did he and Echo make friends in the 501st? Where is he now? Is he even alive?_

The last thought would always constrict her throat as she held back tears because she could easily get her answers. All she had to do was check any datapad for the Resolute’s manifesto, or check the casualty lists for skirmishes the 501st was involved with. But the possibility of pulling up his file and seeing the ‘deceased’ banner stamped across his picture was too much for Vix to bear; better for her heart to not discover the truth than go digging for information. Time clearly wasn’t helping her memories of Fives fade away as he started appearing in her dreams in recent months. They started off pretty innocent; a conversation, a shared meal, a walk down a quiet street. But now they filled her with hunger, the thrill of hands gripping her hips as his cock brushed against her entrance or the echo of moans he would make when she would run her hands up his thighs. She doesn’t really know when the dreams morphed, but they were happening almost every night and when she awoke, she felt a hollowness in her heart that was growing every passing day. Hopefully Fives had done what Vix clearly couldn’t do over the course of these long months; move on.

The alarm cried, shaking her from her thoughts as she shifted over to silence the wretched thing. She quickly redressed in her intimidating black armor and headed down to the sparring arena within the massive training complex dome.

* * *

When the door to the sparring arena swooshed open to reveal Vix, every clone jumped to salute her after they rushed to stand in their respective formations. She joined Blitz, Colt, and Havoc in front of the cadets, along with a female Kaminoan instructor whose name she couldn’t recall, and turned to study them. The year fives were pretty much boys, physically resembling 10 year olds, with their round cheeks and puppy-dog eyes that gazed up in awe at the Master Chief before them.

As the Kaminoan stepped forward to begin lecturing them on the presentation, Vix and her commanders began separating squads into small sparring groups and spaced them out across the massive arena space, each group forming a small circle. There were only two rules given; two cadets at a time with no outside assistance and any sign of harm ends the match automatically. Once the groups were formed, the Kaminoan released a chime through the arena’s audio system, signaling the boys to begin. Two cadets in each group stepped forward and began fighting, while the four commanders spread out through the arena to observe the other groups.

Vix walked over to one group, as two of the cadets lunged at one another. Both wore the standard issue blue tunic and red shirt and pants given to the younger clones in the facility, but something about both of them caught her eye. One of them had bright blonde hair, a common mutation found in the clones as they have stretched Jango’s DNA more and more to create more clones, but the other one had thick, curly black hair that reminded her of Fives.

_Was this what he looked like as a kid? Did he ever grow his hair out? What was he like as a year 5 during these exercises?_

The blonde had pinned the Fives look-alike down on their stomach, twisting their arm behind their back. Finally after a moment of trying to escape, the boy gave up and signaled their surrender, causing the other cadet to roll off with a smug look. But once they were free, he swiped the victor’s legs and the blonde cadet slammed down on the ground. Bright red blood smeared on the ground as the curly-haired cadet jumped on top of his injured brother and the two began rolling around, before Vix stepped into the circle and pried them apart.

“Boys, boys, boys, that’s enough! What are your names?”

“CT-31-1569,” the blonde cadet replied as he wiped a small trickle of blood coming from his forehead.

“CT-34-7777,” said the other cadet.

“Geez, these identification numbers are getting longer and longer, aren’t they?” Vix said.

All five cadets giggled quietly at the comment and their tension began to slowly subside. Vix walked over and knelt in front of the bloodied clone, pulling a small bacta patch from her belt compartment and placing it lightly over the cut.

“You need to be more careful next time, but you did a good job in not giving up the fight.” Vix rubbed the cadet’s arm in reassurance, earning a shy smile from the young boy.

She stood up and walked over to the other cadet, kneeling to face him as his eyes searched the floor to avoid her gaze. Being this close, she knew this was what Fives looked like as a young boy; he had the same hair, same eyes, same look she has seen on his face when he is getting yelled at.

She shuffled closer to the cadet and she spoke low enough only for the two of them to hear.

“You know... I have a friend that you remind me of who has a designation number like you, with the repeating numbers.”

“You do, sir?” The boy perked up and his eyes darted to the three clone commanders still circling around the arena.

“No it isn’t one of the Rancors, his name is Fives and he’s a trooper in the 501st. Have you heard of them?”

“Yes, sir! Our instructor Lama Ti told us they are one of the best legions in the GAR and that their Jedi General is crazy!”

Vix chuckled lightly at the mention of Skywalker’s reputation, “Well, before my friend was in the 501st, he made some choices as a cadet that almost put him in sanitation with 99.” 

“No way! You have to be the best of the best to be in a legion like that, why was he allowed to join after he messed up?”

She slightly winces thinking back on that conversation, “Well at the time, I wasn’t very nice in pointing out his faults and I made him feel bad about the choices he had made. But he learned from his mistakes and did better next time, and that’s all I ask of y’all. Learn from this mistake and don’t ‘try’, _do_ better. So what do you think you can do better next time?”

The boy took a moment to let the question sit, before his head swiveled to look at his injured brother.

“I should have stopped fighting the moment I saw CT-31-1569 was hurt, I broke one of the rules.”

“You did break that rule, but you can take this opportunity to learn and become a better soldier. And next time when a brother is hurt, help them, don’t use the promise of victory as an excuse to not care for one another. Ok?”

“Ok, Master Chief. I’m sorry, and I’m sorry to you too, CT-31-1569.” The boy shyly replied.

Vix gave him a pat on the shoulder, while Havoc arrived at her side.

“Master Chief, it is almost 1200. We need to start heading towards the main hangar.”

“Of course, Commander Havoc let’s head out. Both of you did a fine job in the spar, cadets. I’ll make sure to let your instructor know that you both deserve a dessert ration for dinner tonight.” Vix offered both cadets a wink before she exited the arena with her fellow commanders hot on her heels, leaving the young clones to continue their sparring session.

The hangar was unusually barren when Vix, Havoc, Colt, and Blitz arrived, finding General Shaak Ti and Prime Minister Nala Se conversing near the edge.

“Nala Se is here? Whatever is going on must be pretty big to have the PM waiting on a bunch of clones,” Blitz whispered at Vix’s side. The four commanders approached and offered a brief nod of greeting, while Nala Se gave an unamused scan over the newcomers.

“Master Chief. Commanders. I wasn’t aware that the news the Jedi Generals would be bringing us pertained to your area of expertise.”

_Wow, I forgot how much this guy is a fucking prick._

“Prime Minister, just like you and General Shaak Ti, I have no indication as to why the 501st and 212th are stopping in Tipoca City. But I assure you that myself and the Rancors can assist in any way the Grand Army of the Republic see fit.”

Shaak Ti gave Vix a knowing look to stand down, as Nala Se contemplated the Commander’s words.

“Curious, maybe we can find something for your commanders to do. Something easy, for a clone.”

Vix’s fists tightened at her side as she used every ounce of restraint within her to not kick this Kaminoan’s ass. But Nala Se no longer seemed interested in belittling the clone troopers beside Vix, as he glanced out towards the Kamino horizon. 

A few klicks away, the shape of a Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer materialized out of the thick blanket of fog surrounding the city and nestled between two domes before extending one of its side ramps to connect with the main hangar. Hundreds of troopers in blue and white marched down the wide walkway, led in front by General Skywalker and General Kenobi, with Captain Rex and Commander Cody hot on their heels.

“Masters Kenobi and Skywalker, welcome to Kamino,” Shaak Ti greeted.

Obi-Wan acknowledges everyone with a bow in greeting before he speaks. “I wish our arrival was under different circumstances. We believe General Grievous is planning a Separatist attack on Kamino.”

“Hmph, the Republic blockade is far too strong. They would not dare attack, especially after their first attempt months ago was thwarted.” Nala Se seemed impatient with the Jedi’s warning.

“Regardless of this risk, an attack is imminent. Intel informs us that the assassin Asajj Ventress has recently been tracked outside Tipoca City’s coordinates and is in preparation for some form of assault,” Kenobi responds.

“Then we shall prepare for battle. If you will follow me, I will escort you to the command center,” Shaak Ti guides the two Jedi Generals towards the hangar door. A hand rests on Vix’s shoulder as they walk away from the cruiser.

“Vix’ika, I didn’t realize the job description for Master Chief listed ‘sleep deprivation’ as a requirement,” Cody smirked as Vix shot her three Rancors a murderous glare.

“Did you tattle me on me to the Marshall Commander?”

“Actually Blitz commed me, and I might have let it slip out to Cody,” Rex offered as he caught up with them in the hallway towards command.

“My ‘sleeping’ has been _fine,_ not that it is any of y’all’s business. And since when have all of you been dishing about me? I don’t remember teaching any of you “Gossip 101’ back in your leadership classes.”

“Oh come on Commander, even though it’s been almost a year since you had my batch and the other _vod_ in your first class, that doesn’t mean we don’t still care about ya.” Cody gave an affection shoulder bump as they walked into the war room.

“I didn’t realize sharing your mutual concern about me meant harassment,” she grumbled.

“It’s not harassment, think of it more as your five older brothers showing their love and appreciation,” Havoc countered as he gave Vix a puppy-dog look.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s all it is. And while I love y'all and the rest of the commander batch too, especially my little Rex-y,” she sees a slight blush creep on the captain’s face, “I’m telling you I’m taking care of myself and I’m fine. Let’s just focus on the battle plans, yeah?”

The main doors open to reveal a dark room, at least by Kaminoan standards. Floor-to-ceiling screens encircle a main holoprojector resting in the center of the room, with clone and Kaminoan officers pulling up holomaps and schematics of the Republic fleet on various computer terminals along the walls.

Cody and Rex each gave an affectionate pat on her shoulder as they left to view a holomap, leaving Vix with her commanders near the entrance. Vix located a vacant computer terminal and pulled up the full roster for her Rancor battalion. Half of her men were currently off-world on missions, leaving some of the newer men to assist in the assault. She selected their names and pulled up a map of the entire city, stationing them in two sectors.

“Alright boys, I’m deploying all remaining Rancors that are currently on planet for this battle. Havoc, I want you to take Byers, Match, Bolt, and Hammer to the main hangar bay to assist the 501st. Colt, I want you to take Intel, Tar, Aim, and Ref to re-enforce the barracks. Your team will help the Kamino guard protect the younger cadets and civilian personnel. Blitz, you will stay with me and offer additional support where needed. Understood?”

“Sir, yes sir,” all three respond in unison.

“Havoc. Colt. Good luck.”

Havoc and Colt gave quick nods and ran out of the war room, followed shortly by General Skywalker.

“Where is your General going, Rex?” Vix called over.

“General Skywalker prefers to be fighting on the front lines with the boys rather than helping with strategy. He is heading to assist Shadow Squadron and the fleet with the impending airstrike,” the captain responded.

_That’s a bit unusual for a Jedi; I like that._

Vix and Blitz joined Rex and Cody at the holomap as they examined the layout of Tipoca City and stationed 501st and Kamino guard platoons throughout the structures. Even without knowing the full objective of the Separatists, they knew extra reinforcements would be needed in the training dome; which not only included the barracks and nursery, but also the clone genetic bank. 

“Blitz, go back to the office and grab as much ammo as possible from our stash, Rex, Cody and I will finish up here.”

“You got it, Commander.”

Vix continued to observe the holomap when a wandering thought appeared.

“Rex, did Fives and Echo accompany the 501st for this mission?”

Rex pried his eyes from the map to study her, “Yes, Commander. Why?”

_Oh thank the Maker they’re alright, at least for now._

Vix sighed in relief, “I have a special assignment that I think they would be perfect for. I’ll hail Colt to find them and have them act as snipers to protect the training dome.”

She sent a quick message to Colt on her wrist communicator, while Rex and Cody eyed each other from either side of her. Silence hung in the room and Vix continued to focus ahead, interrupted by clearing of a throat at her side.

“Ya know, Fives has been askin’ about ya,” Rex cooed, seeing Vix go rigid at the mention of that name.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, ‘oh’. After all these months in the 501st, that man bugs me constantly to check your file and see how you’re doing, what you’re up to, that sorta thing. Which he made me promise to never tell ya, so this conversation never happened.”

“Of course.” Vix felt short of breath from Rex’s confession. She had told Fives months prior that they needed to focus on their jobs and not each other, and yet here he is apparently gabbing about her nonstop.

_Well it’s not like you have done a better job shutting him out of your head._

“So are you going to tell me _why_ he is asking about you?”

“How should I know? Haven’t you asked him?”

Rex shrugs, “According to him, he is just checking in on a friend. Which I find hard to believe, because you don’t seem the type to have friends.”

Vix lightly punches Rex’s shoulder, “Asshole! I do have friends! I have you and Cody, the Rancors, and the rest of the commander batch!”

Rex rubs the spot Vix hits while Cody turns to face both of them. “Vix’ika, we technically are your friends but I think we act more like your brothers than anything else. I think what Rex is implying is that Fives might be something...different.”

“I’m really not in the mood to have this conversation with my ‘brothers’ when we are about to be attacked by a full armada.” Vix finishes labeling the map before she turns and leaves the two clones, walking over to join Shaak Ti as she discusses strategy with General Kenobi and Nala Se. She can hear the two snicker at her embarrassment from across the room, but she has more important things to do than discuss what they were implying.

“Is the fleet in position?” Shaak Ti inquired.

“Yes, I’m tracking Anakin right now with Shadow Squadron. No sign of the Separatist fleet, but we are ready for attack,” Obi-Wan responded, turning on the central holo-terminal to show two projections; one of the entire Republic fleet and another of Tipoca City’s dome structures.

Blitz re-entered the war room, handing Vix endless rounds of ammo for the DC-17’s and DC-15 still strapped at her hips and thigh. She reloaded each one of her guns quickly and hooked the remaining ammo cartridges on her belt. 

“It doesn’t matter when they arrive; we are ready. All ARC’s currently on Tipoca have been deployed, and every quadrant of the city is being reinforced by them and the 501st.” Vix added, earning a nod from both Jedi and a pair of rolling eyes from the Kaminoan.

Suddenly, the once stark white lighting in the room was snuffed out and replaced by a low red hue; the sign for attack. The tension in the room snapped as alarms blared and radio frequencies lit up with cries of war as Vix regarded the surrounding leaders at the terminal.

“Well that turned out quicker than I imagined.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mesh'la- beautiful  
> cyar'ika- darling/beloved/sweetheart
> 
> I love the idea that literally every commander and Captain Rex in the GAR basically are older brothers to Vix. Like poor Fives better not mess this up or he is dead!  
> Now we getting some fighty action next chapter!


	8. The Battle of Kamino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of blood, violence, and death

It was difficult to view Death as anything but final; the inevitable end to the journey all beings in the galaxy will face. Some people believed loved ones would be reunited after death, some believed in reincarnation or the promise of an eternal sleep. Shaak Ti had often mentioned the role the ‘Force’ plays in life and death, but most of it sounds like spiritual nonsense. It doesn’t matter which theory is true though, because right now Vix views Death as a cruel monster.

The screams of fallen clones filled the war room, as small ships on the projector vanished from the map one by one and squads located around the city were gunned down by droids. 

Clones that had died to protect the Republic. Clones that had died to protect each other from the tyranny of the Separatists. Clones that had died to protect the only place they have ever called home. 

Not one person on any of the thousands of systems aligned with the Republic would mourn them, they wouldn’t value their sacrifice or ever think to thank them for their service. 

With each death cry, Vix made a mental note to add one more trooper to her prayers tonight. The list was getting longer and longer as the fighting continued and she was struggling to keep track, but as movement of the droids was tracked further through the Tipoca complex, she knew that list would keep growing throughout the night.

The battle was too easy from the beginning. Grievous’s ships were the perfect bait for Shadow Squadron and the Republic cruisers as the hulls of the Separatist’s fleet were demolished and caught by Kamino’s gravitational pull; leading them to what the GAR thought was a watery grave. Just like Shaak Ti and Vix, Obi-Wan Kenobi sensed that something was out of place and had left to further inspect the remains of the ships currently seeking to the bottom of the grey ocean. Dozens of aquadroids were discovered constructing assault crafts under the waves, now laying waste to the various domes around the city.

“Contact with the main hangar has been lost, we have no visual on the situation,” a clone communications officer called from a distant computer terminal.

Vix looked towards Shaak Ti, “We can’t afford to lose our momentum this early in the defense, that platoon is all that stands between this war room and the enemy.”

“I agree. Commander Phera, take Rex, Cody, and Blitz to reinforce the structure.” Shaak Ti ordered.

Vix turned and motioned for the three clones to follow her, as they ran out of the command center. 

Red lights bathed the once pristine hallways as evacuation procedures were barked through various intercoms. Cadet brigades and trooper units raced along the various hallways beside Vix’s group as they navigated through the winding corridors. Small vibrations from incoming fire and the muffled sounds of blasters echoed in the distance, growing in volume as the group turned down the final corridor that led to the hangar. Rows of B1 battle droids marched through the blasted-open doors and opened fire on the small squad before they could reach for their weapons.

Vix slid into a side alcove and unstrapped the rifle blaster from her thigh, pulling it close to her chest to begin spraying the enemy with an endless supply of bolts. Blitz, Cody, and Rex joined in, sending shot after shot into the sea of droids before the last one clattered to the ground. Vix signaled for the men to advance and they ran through the damaged door frame to examine the remains of the earlier fight.

Bodies of soldiers and droids littered the floor and the smell of blasterfire and oil hung in the air. The four of them spread out to step around the bodies, looking for any signs of survivors among them. From behind a stack of crates, a weak cough caught Vix’s attention. She snuck around the pile to see the bloodied armor of a clone propped against the boxes as blood pooled around him.

“Havoc!”

Vix dropped to his side and slowly pulled his helmet off, trying not to further injure him as she assessed the damage. Havoc looked up at her with frightened eyes as he tried to hold back coughs that threatened to erupt at any moment. Sweat dripped down his face and chill bumps dotted along his high cheekbones as his eyes struggled to stay open.

“Havoc! Hey _vod_ , you need to tell me where you’re hurt, ok?” Vix’s hands roamed over his body trying to locate the source of the bleeding, before seeing the blaster mark on his chest and on the back of his neck.

_Two shots; direct hit to the carotid artery and one in the chest cavity to fill his lungs with blood. Prognosis: not good._

Havoc and Vix both knew the injuries were fatal, but Vix still began to pull the medkits from her and Havoc’s belts before his hand moved to stop her.

“Vix’ika...stop.”

“No Havoc, it’ll be fine. I just need you to shut up so I can help you. Blitz, I need help!”

She didn’t even recognize her voice, high-pitched and frantic as she clamped a bacta patch over his neck wound, immediately drenching her hand in scarlet. Blitz joined Vix at her side, while Rex and Cody lingered behind them far enough to give them some privacy.

“Vix, there is nothing we can do for him. We need to go, now.” Blitz comforted.

Tears threatened to spill over as she gently cradled the back of Havoc’s head with her free hand and leaned him forward to rest his forehead on hers.

“Vix, it’s ok...let me go…” Havoc weakly coughed out.

With a shaky exhale, she removed the blood-soaked hand from his neck and leaned his head back against the crates. She quickly stood and turned away, not having the strength to watch the light leave Havoc’s eyes before Blitz would gently shut his lids for the last time. She stared at her blood soaked hands, trying to slip back into the mindset of the fearsome warrior she usually portrayed.

“Captain, status report.” Vix took a few calming breaths as she waited for Rex to respond. She can’t appear weak right now, especially in front of her men.

“It...seems that there are no survivors. A squad of droids is heading to the command center, but Cody has already been in communication with them. Generals Skywalker and Kenobi are currently engaged with Ventress and Grievous and assistance is needed in the training complex.”

No survivors. Half of her ARCs were now dead. 

She added their names to her mental list and murmured a quick prayer of protection for Colt and his squad before she spoke to her team.

“Let’s go.”

The hallways had been crawling with droids on the long journey to the training dome. By the time they reached the barrack hallway, Vix only had one ammo cartridge left and was running low on stamina, a similar situation to what the three clones with her were facing. Blitz had been knocked off his feet by a grenade and limped slightly against the support of Vix down the hall, while Rex and Cody scouted ahead. The main hallway was barren as they crept down its path, blasters held up, ready to strike.

“Commander, I think I hear someone in this room.”

She turned to see Rex pointing towards one of the barrack doors, currently cracked open with hushed voices slipping out. With the barrel of his pistol, Rex slowly pushed open the door and signaled for everyone to advance into the room. Down the endless room, figures clustered together near a block of locker argued as Vix’s group grew closer and closer.

“What are we going to do? A Separatist victory means death for us all!” A young clone cadet exclaimed to his partners.

Vix signaled her team to drop their defensive before they walked over to the now visible group of clones.

“We fight,” she announced as she appeared in front of the group.

“It’s the Master Chief!” 

Vix eased Blitz down on a nearby crate as she took stock of the barrack survivors. She could see 99 standing with five clone cadets and two troopers in blue and white standing off to the side.

“Vixus, are you alright?” 99 asked, pointing down at her red-stained hands.

“Yeah, 99. I’m alright,” she lied, not wanting to discuss the events of the hangar in front of the young boys.

“Echo; status report,” Rex ordered.

At the mention of that name, she whipped around to face the two grown troopers, holding their helmets at their side. Echo began briefing Rex and Cody on the events prior to their arrival, while Fives tentatively stepped closer to Vix and Blitz.

“Vix.”

“Fives.”

Blitz stiffened beside Vix at the trooper’s introduction and promptly stood up to join the debrief, but Vix didn’t see him still eyeing her and the trooper. 

“Um… how are you?”

_Well I just watched one of my commanders die in front of me, so pretty shitty._

“I’m...ok. You look, well.”

‘Well’ was putting it too kindly; Fives looked _good_. Time apart from one another had blurred her mental image of Fives and seeing him again in person made her knees weaken. His black curly hair glistened with sweat in the low lighting and his armor was painted with crisp blue lines along his arms and legs, showing the experience and rank he now held within the 501st. Vix noticed a drawing on his right arm piece and started to step forward for a closer look, but the cadets approached, one of them with curly hair speaking first.

“Master Chief, is this the ‘Fives’ you were talking about this morning?”

Fives cocked his hip and shot Vix a smug grin, “Oh, you were talking about me?”

“Shut up, Fives. Yes, this is the _friend_ I was talking about. You’re CT-34-7777, right?”

“Yes, sir. And that’s CT-31-1569 from earlier, and that’s CT-4-”

Vix interrupts, “Sorry boys, but we don’t have the time to give everyone an introduction. We need to figure out a plan to fight those droids.”

The cadets glance at each other in defeat before the blonde cadet, still wearing the bacta patch Vix applied earlier, steps forward.

“Sorry sir, but we are just cadets. Our training is incomplete.”

Vix was about to counter, but Fives quickly knelt that to the boy’s level.

“Look around, we’re one and the same. Same heart, same blood. Your training is in your blood. And my blood’s boiling for a fight. This is our home, this is our war, and this is our fight.”

Vix was stunned by the passion and ferocity that was carried in Fives’ voice.

_That was kind of hot._

She shook herself of those thoughts as she knelt alongside Fives.

“Fives is right. We need to fight, and to do that, we need weapons.”

“The Armory!” 99 piped up, “It’s just a few corridors away, all the firepower we need will be there.”

“Good thinking, 99. You take Cody, Rex, and Echo to retrieve supplies. The rest of us will create barriers to hide behind.” Vix orders, with each clone snapping into action and beginning their work. 

Blitz and Fives begin tossing benches and pushing lockers out from the over-hanging pods, while Vix gathers the cadets together to formulate their plan.

“Ok, each one of you is gonna get into a pod. When the boys come back, I’ll throw you up some weapons and you can shoot from there, but promise me this. If myself and the others get hurt, all of you run. Don’t stay behind, don’t look back, you keep running until you find more troopers. Understood?”

The chorus of affirmatives was enough to put her mind at ease, until the armory group returned with supplies. She replenished her ammo on her belt and threw up blasters and explosives to the young cadets, before their respective pods closed to conceal them. 

In the distance, the clang of metal feet echoed from out in the hallway and grew closer and closer every second. Every member pulled out their weapon, Vix this time using her dual pistols instead of her rifle, and held it close to their chest as they peaked out from their hiding spot.

The door slid open, revealing massive B2-series super battle droids as they filed into the expansive room, followed by an endless supply of B1’s. From behind their first barrier, Vix stole quick glances at each of them men fighting with her, trying to imprint their faces just in case someone didn’t make it. First Cody, then Rex, followed by Blitz, Echo, and 99, finally ending at Fives. 

_I pray that none of these men die today, but if one of them does, I pray it isn’t you._

The thought was selfish and uncharacteristic of Vix, but she meant it. Prying her eyes from Fives, she looked back over the barrier to see the droids moving closer to their position. A beat later, she sprung from her hiding spot, “FIRE!”

The pods overhead opened up and blaster bolts rained down on the surprised droids, taking out the first wave of enemies. Vix sent shot after shot, stopping momentarily to move farther and farther back with the others to the next barrier, keeping an appropriate distance from the offensive line. 99 scurried behind them as they shot, replenishing their exhausted weapons and placing new explosives in their hands when needed as the fighting continued. The cadets hopped down from their pods and joined the main group, adding to their collective firepower as the droids gained on their position. Only a few remained, but Vix noticed their resources were severely depleted and it would take a miracle for all of them to make it out alive. 

“Cody, you have the last explosive, make it count!” Vix grunted as she returned heavy fire.

The metal ball flew through the air and took out the remaining B2’s, leaving only a handful of the smaller B1’s to fight, but still enough to present a challenge. Vix tried to fire more shots from her pistols, but her pistols were empty and the amount of ammo for her back-up weapon was limited. 99 must have noticed, because he left his position beside her to run behind them.

“I’ll go back to the Armory, get you more ammo!”

“99, no!”

A red bolt flew past Vix’s head and hit 99 in the back of the leg, causing him to falter. Vix heard one of the clone’s scream his name, but by the time Vix turned around another bolt had hit him directly in the back, and his body crumbled to the ground. Echo cried out for 99 and left the barrier to join the fallen clone’s side, while the remaining droids continued advancing. Vix threw her pistols aside and pulled the DC-15 from her thigh holster, shooting down the handful of droids still standing.

The barrack grew quiet again as the smell of ash and fog of smoke hung around the sparking remnants of the Separatist enemies. Vix lowered her blaster and took a long, deep breath to calm the adrenaline within her and turned to join the group. Everyone crouched around 99 as Echo held him gently in his lap and Cody talked to his wrist comm.

“Good news, Shaak Ti has informed me that the enemy fleet is in full retreat.”

Vix ignored the news of victory as she knelt down by Echo’s side to grab 99’s hand.

“We lost a true soldier today.”

Fives knelt down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “He was a good soldier and a good friend. We’ll all miss him.”

Having Fives this close was nice. She wasn’t as touch-starved as the clones were and usually would have been uncomfortable being this close to someone. But she found herself leaning into his side, taking a moment to relish the comfort of having him near.

Something shiny slipped out of his pocket and caught their attention, while the others regrouped.

“Is that a medal?” Vix asked.

“Yeah, Hevy gave it to him when we graduated. Just like I gave mine to you.” Fives responded.

Vix turned to look at Fives, “I still have it.”

His face lit up and a small smile grew on his face, only to be broken up by Echo’s voice.

“We need to hide the medal. If the Kaminoans find it, they’ll throw it away.” 

Vix grabbed it and placed it in one of her belt compartments, “I’ll hide it and make sure it’s safe. I promise”

Echo reached over from his crouched position around 99 and placed his hand over Vix’s.

“Thank you.”

* * *

They won. The Jedi had protected Jango Fett’s DNA from getting into Separatist hands and Grievous faced a massive defeat all because of his arrogance in attacking the clone homeworld. But at what cost?

Vix, Blitz, Cody and Rex had returned to the command center to await further orders, where they learned the true extent of the damage. In total they lost 45% of their troops, about 3,000 growth chambers had been destroyed, and a majority of the training complex had been demolished by the Separatist crafts landing on the dome structure. But the hardest part for Vix to stomach was about her men. Looking around the room, she had immediately noticed Colt’s absence and her fears were realized; he hadn’t made it either. 

Against the warnings of the Jedi Generals, Vix insisted that she see the security footage from the hallway where his body, along with the other ARCs in his command, was discovered.

A blue glow illuminated the room as the main holoprojector displayed the squad’s final moments unfold. Ventress slayed the ARC troopers one by one as she advanced towards Colt. His body rose from the floor and floated mid-air as he struggled against invisible hands tightening around his windpipe. She force pushed him against the wall, dislodging his helmet. 

Even in the projection, Vix could see the fear and understanding in his eyes; he knew this moment would be his last. 

Ventress ignited one of her curved lightsabers and impaled Colt in his chest. Vix watches as Ventress’s holo form leans towards the dying trooper and kisses the corner of his lips before tossing his body aside.

Bile rises in her throat as the holo terminal is shut off and she once again fights to maintain her composure. She has learned enough about Jedi to guess that they can feel her emotions radiating off of her, but thankfully they are polite enough to not point this out to her as they continue their debrief. She doesn’t even listen as they talk about reports and casualties; every second she stands in that room, the walls she has built up in her mind as reformed, hardened, and solidified. She won’t deal with this now, maybe never. She must move on and not let her emotions cloud her judgement. That’s what the Jedi do, right?

Vix has no real memory of returning to her apartment, when did she even leave the war room? But she assumes Blitz escorted her home, as he exits the kitchen with two mugs and sets them on the coffee table in front of her before he removes his helmet and sits beside her on the couch. 

She slowly grabs the cup and lifts it to her nose, smelling the mysterious liquid. A sip of the brown concoction warms her body, with the hints of honey and sugar calming her with each swig.

“The tea is good.”

_Really? That’s all you can say after everything that has happened today?_

Blitz doesn’t respond, just clutching to the mug so tightly his knuckles begin turning white. The silence hangs in Vix’s apartment as the two sit uncomfortably on the couch and drink their tea, while a looming storm brews outside from what was previously a rare sunny day. Vix sighs as she sets the now empty mug back on the coffee table.

“Blitz, I-”

She is interrupted as Blitz slams his mug down on the coffee table and whips his head to face her.

“Don’t even start Vix. I already know exactly how this conversation is gonna go.”

“You do?” 

“Yeah, you’re gonna say something sarcastic or snarky to try to disguise how much you are hurting and honestly, I’m not in the mood for your games.”

Vix was shocked by his accusation and anger began bubbling up in her gut as she turned to face him.

“That isn’t fair, Blitz.”

“I’m not trying to be. Both of us have lost so much today, and while I was bred and conditioned to not hold on to any of my brother’s deaths, I’m concerned about you,” he admitted.

Her look must have morphed into confusion, because Blitz grabbed one of her hands and released a long sigh.

“I know you, Vix’ika. Probably more than you know yourself. I could see you closing yourself back up after Havoc and especially in the war room. I’m pointing this out not to make you uncomfortable, but to let you know it’s okay to not be okay.”

Vix snatched her hand away from the trooper and shot up from the couch.

“You don’t understand Blitz. I _can’t_ deal with this right now. And I am asking you not just as your superior officer but as your friend; let.it.go.”

The words sounded harsher than she meant as she barked at the man next to her. She knows he doesn’t deserve this, never has and never will, but Vix is so exhausted from the battle and from locking her grief away that she can’t help feeling frustrated with him.

Vix starts to head towards her room, but is stopped by a firm grasp on her forearm.

“If you aren’t going to talk about this issue, there is something else we need to discuss.”

She turns to face him, “and what’s that?”

Blitz regards her for a moment, studying her face and steeling himself for whatever he is about to say.

“I don’t know what is going on between you and Fives, but it needs to stop.”

Vix’s mouth opens slightly in shock as she scrambles to defend herself. “Are you out of your fucking mind? There is nothing-”

Blitz cuts her off, “I’m not an _di’kut_ , Vix’ika. I saw how you acted around him during the battle and with 99. Based on what I saw between the two of you today, I can only _assume_ what you were dreaming about.”

Her cheeks grew hot under the implication, but he continued his lecture.

“He is a clone, just like me and just like the men we lost today; we have nothing to offer, we own nothing, hells we don’t even own ourselves! It’s not fair to get someone’s hope up of having someone by their side when we all know nothing can ever happen.” 

“Do you honestly think that lowly of yourself? Or your brothers?” Vix barked back.

The moment she screamed that question, she knew she might have taken it a step too far. He breaks his gaze with Vix and peers down at the floor. Her hand slowly reaches down to grab his and coaxes him to stand up from the couch and face her.

“Blitz, you are one of the strongest, bravest, kindest men I have ever met in my life. You are so much more than just a soldier, and you deserve whatever kind of life you want after this war is over. Same goes for every man that shares the same genes as you. And I’m not saying I want a relationship with Fives. For once in my life, maybe I want a friend.”

Tears build at his eyelids, but are blinked away quickly as he contemplates her words. 

“You will always have me, Blitz. Remember that. You will always be my _ori’vod_ ” 

“And you will always be my _vod’ika_.”

Vix reaches up and brings him into a hug, his arms looping around her back and squeezing her tightly. They stand there for a moment, letting the tension subside before he whispers near her ear.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped like that. Just sometimes you can be so frustrating, little sister.”

Both of them laugh from the confession and break the hug.

“I’m sorry too. You’re just trying to look out for me and that’s not something I’m used to.”

“Well, you’re worth looking out for,” Blitz grabs his helmet off of the table and pulls it back over his head.

“I think I’ll head home. I need a shower and to sleep for a few years after all we’ve been through today. But if you need anything, you come get me, yeah?”

“Ok, thank you.”

Blitz heads towards the door and exits without another word, leaving Vix alone in the silent room. The moment the apartment door closes, her emotional walls come crashing down.

* * *

“You can’t do this!”

Blitz shot up from his chair and leaned across the conference table, startling Vix in the chair beside her. She knew this conversation would happen sooner or later after what occurred the day prior, but she wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon.

Shaak Ti remained in her chair, unfazed by the clone’s outburst.

“I’m sorry Commander Blitz, but given the fatalities the Rancor battalion faced yesterday, the decision has been made to dissolve the formation and reabsorb the members back into their original legions.”

Blitz grew tense and his voice boomed, “I’m sorry General but a decision made by who? The Jedi Council? The Senate? The Kaminoan Council?” 

“It was a collective decision, one that I assure you was not taken lightly. The damage to the training domes and the lack of new ARC recruits doesn’t allow for the battalion to prosper during these difficult times. The training program can be continued, but extensive changes must be made to insure its survival.”

Blitz’s eyes switched between the two women, anger obviously brewing in his tightened jaw and thinned lips.

“Why aren’t you upset about this like I am, Vix? Say something!”

“I agree with the General.”

“What?”

Vix gently grabbed Blitz’s forearm and guided him to sit back down in his chair. She steadied herself before she even had the strength to look him in the eyes.

“It feels wrong to replace all that you and I have lost. Try and somehow, fill in the blanks that have been left in the Rancor’s ranks? That isn’t how I want to honor their sacrifice, do you?”

“No, it isn’t.” Blitz immediately answers.

Shaak Ti leans over the table from her chair, “So you can understand why this decision was made. Commander Phera and I both feel that the ARC troopers will be more beneficial serving on the front lines rather than having them stationed here and only deploying them for special operations. We are implementing these changes even for commando groups like Delta and Foxtrot so they can be more independent and active on assignments, so I assure you this is not an isolated change just for Rancor.”

Blitz sighed and looked towards the Togruta, “Okay, I understand the decision. But what about the training programs?”

“The clone cadet program will remain the same. The Kaminoans feel confident that they can still produce the same amount of clones even with the limited resources and damage to most of the training complex. The ARC program and all special forces training will be moved to Coruscant, effective immediately. Blitz, you will be sent to Coruscant to oversee the programs, while Vixus will stay here and oversee the cadets.”

“Yes, General,” Blitz mumbles. He fidgets slightly in his chair and swallows hard, before he speaks again.

“General Shaak Ti, I do have a request, if I may?” 

The General leans back, “Of course, Blitz. What can I do for you?”

“The Master Chief and I have already selected two troopers from the 501st, Fives and Echo, to receive ARC training. And while we both understand that Rancor will be no more, we would still like to invite them into the program.”

Shaak Ti’s browline curved as she analyzed Blitz’s words.

“That decision is of course up to both of you as heads of the program, but I sense that you aren’t asking for my approval on this specific matter?”

“You are correct, sir. I ask that Vixus be sent to Coruscant instead to train Fives and Echo, and I remain here on Kamino.”

Vix was shocked by everything Blitz had just told the General. First, they had _not_ discussed promoting Fives and Echo to ARC status so that was news to her. Second, she was confused as to why Blitz would deny the opportunity to leave Kamino and live in the sparkling capital city of the Grand Republic. It just didn’t make any sense.

“Why would you willingly stay here on Kamino, Blitz? You were born here, raised here, trained here. Do you not desire to explore the galaxy and discover life away from these grey oceans?” Shaak Ti inquired.

Blitz gave Vix a comforting glance, “It is true, I have spent the entirety of my short life on this planet. And while I have had the opportunity to visit other planets while on assignment, I feel like I am meant to stay here. Yesterday, I learned that perhaps my fighting days are coming to an end, but sir, Vixus Phera deserves more than what Kamino has to offer. She should get the chance to explore this galaxy.”

One of Vix’s hands clasped onto Blitz’s shoulder pauldron, with one of his gloved hands moving upwards to squeeze it. This man truly was the closest thing Vix ever had to a brother; and while it would be devastating to be separated, she could at least make their parting easier.

“I have a request as well, General.” Vix spoke.

“Yes, Vixus?”

She took a breath, “I will accept Blitz’s arrangement to stay here while I go to Coruscant only if I am able to make him Master Chief.” 

Blitz’s hand gripped her hand lying on his shoulder and pulled it down into his lap, cupping it close to him.

“Vix, you don’t-”

“No, Blitz. You know I hated the job anyways, and you of all people deserve to make changes that will improve the lives of your brothers.”

Shaak Ti had a warm smile as she stood up from her chair.

“If you want the position Blitz, you have my full blessing. I can’t think of anyone more qualified for the role.”

He paused for a moment, “Yes, General. I accept.”

“Wonderful. Commander Phera, you will ship out at 1800 on the Resolute as they are headed to Coruscant on a brief leave. Master Chief Blitz, you and I will reconvene tomorrow morning to discuss further changes to the programs.”

“Yes, sir.” Blitz replied.

“And Vixus, may the Force be with you.” Shaak Ti exited the room, leaving the two commanders.

Blitz and Vix regarded each other, before both broke out in laughter.

“Well, that conversation held a few surprises.” Vix said as her giggling quieted down.

Blitz rolled his eyes playfully, “That’s putting it lightly.”

“When did you make the decision to promote Fives and Echo?”

“Oh, the moment I left your apartment yesterday. I messaged Rex and Cody so they could inform the two,” He smuggly said.

Her eyes narrowed, “Why did you do that?”

“Well I figured I was just beating you to it. Regardless of whatever ‘is or isn’t’ happening between you and Fives, him and Echo showed real potential yesterday and deserve the promotion. Why did you make me Master Chief?”

Vix pulled one of her hands free and slid it behind Blitz’s head, pulling his head towards her to press their foreheads together. “Because you have proven to me time and time again that you are a great leader, Blitz. You deserve this more than I ever did. And now that it seems we are being separated, I know that the position will give you more protection from the Kaminoans and active battle than I ever could. You have earned an early retirement, _vod_.”

“Thank you, Vix.”

“No, thank you Blitz.”

They pulled their heads away and Blitz shot up from his chair, pulling Vix up with him.

“Come on, let’s go get you packed up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past week in the U.S. has been...a lot. Especially as a political science major in Florida, so the next chapter might be late as I try to catch up on everything. Thanks for reading!


	9. A New Beginning

The silence was almost unbearable in the morgue. Metal slabs were occupied with figures under white sheets, waiting for their turn in the already backed-up crematorium. No funerals would be held for any of the lost souls of Kamino; just a quick cremation and a dumping of the massive ash pile, washing the evidence away towards the ocean floor. Vix had requested that the ARC’s be saved for last so she could come see them one last time. 

She was leaving in 30 minutes to start a new life in Coruscant, one that wouldn’t have these men at her side. She couldn’t stomach seeing their faces, but she took the time to linger at each one of their bodies and rest her hand on top of the crisp sheets covering them. With each trooper, she would try to think back on pleasant memories; trying to remember each one of her men for all the good they brought into her life. Jokes, laughter, sarcastic remarks, a sense of belonging and family. Each memory felt both soul-crushing and uplifting, as she danced on the thin line of giving into her grief. 

But she persisted. 

Vix knelt down on the cold, durasteel ground and closed her eyes. She could feel the chill of the morgue’s refrigerators tingle her skin and smell the faint hint of sterilized medical equipment, but tried to block it all out for this last moment with her men.

“ _Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_.”

She had probably butchered the Mando’a as it rolled off her tongue, but she tried to steady her nerves as fresh tears dripped down her cheeks.

“Colt. Havoc. Hammer. Byers…”

She slowly began reciting the names, taking a moment between each one to remember their sacrifice and honor their life as she continued down her mental list of fallen soldiers. 

Havoc was the one to teach her about Remembrances, a way to honor those who have fallen and make sure their sacrifice would not be forgotten. It was some sort of Mandalorian tradition passed down by Jango to the oldest clones, mostly to help them cope with the mass fatalities they would face in battle.

She had already lost some of her men in the past year; a rogue blaster bolt, a gunship crash, small mistakes on the battlefield that ended in the mission turning sour and resulting in casualties. But never before had Vix needed to perform this ceremony for this many fallen souls.

“99.”

The last name on her list. A name she prayed would never be in her Remembrances. 

She stood up and walked over to the gurney holding his body, noticing how much smaller and shorter he was compared to the others. His small, pale hand peeked out from the white fabric and Vix was tempted to reach out and hold it. 99 would hold her hand while she talked about her childhood, about her job, the things she was too afraid to tell anyone. Now as she looked at that same hand, she wished that she could have returned the favor and listened to his thoughts or his day, and offer him her hand in reassurance.

But it’s too late. 

The only thing she can do is pull out the small golden trinket she had found earlier.

The moment she had seen it she knew exactly what it was, and after Fives told her the original owner, it only confirmed her suspicions. Even though it was too late to offer 99 anything, it felt right to now hold his hand and place the small trinket in the palm; closing his fingers tightly around it.

Vix took one last look before she headed down towards the hangar, leaving 99 alone with Hevy’s medal.

* * *

Outside of the medical wing, Blitz leaned against the white domed walls while Vix’s bags lay guarded by his side. At first sight of her, he picked up one of her bags and swung it over his shoulder, cradling his helmet in the other arm.

“Did you get a chance to say goodbye?” 

She leaned down and gripped the leather strap of her remaining bag, and slung it across her chest. With her belongings, they began walking down the white hallways towards the hangar.

“I did. It wasn’t and will never be enough, but I’m glad I saw them before I left. I don’t think I would forgive myself if I hadn’t.” 

“I know they would’ve appreciated that someone cared. That’s all we really want in the end, ain’t it?” Blitz offered.

Vix shrugged, “I guess so. I know I don’t act like I care, but maybe I just care too much and I’m afraid to show it.” 

“You don’t have to explain yourself, Vix’ika. I definitely learned with the ‘Fives’ fiasco not to pressure you into explaining yourself,” he nudged her side. She rolled her eyes and turned towards him as they waited for the hangar door to open.

“Are you trying to make me regret promoting you to Master Chief?” 

Blitz chuckled, “No, I’m just trying to annoy you enough to last until the next time we see each other.” 

“When do you think that’ll be?” Vix whispered. 

Realistically with the state of this war, they both knew the answer would most likely be never again. But to say it out loud, to admit it, would be too painful after everything they had already been through within the past 24 hours. It was clear Blitz felt the same way as her. The usually chipper soldier looked like he had aged overnight; his skin was laced with deep wrinkles and the characteristic sparkle in his eye was now long extinguished. To openly acknowledge their separation would push this man over the edge, an edge Vix was already skirting.

He released a heavy sigh, “I don’t know, Vix. But at least you know where to find me.” 

They walked out into the hangar where the massive star destroyer was parked. The last bits of cargo were being pushed up the ship’s ramp as the two wandered closer. Rex and Cody waited patiently at the base of the ramp, both studying a datapad in Rex’s hand before they noticed the newcomers.

Cody turned, “Commanders. Thank you for your assistance yesterday. We are truly sorry to hear about your fallen Rancors.” 

“Thank you, Cody.” Vix offered a weak smile.

Rex clipped his datapad to his belt and joined them, “Come on, Blitz. Let’s go get you settled in on the ship, yeah?” Blitz and Vix shot each other glances, trying to figure out how to break the news.

“ _Actually_... Master Chief Blitz will be staying on Kamino. I will be going to Coruscant with you.” 

Rex and Cody burst out in hysterics and grabbed each other's shoulders for support, as they both bent forward in laughter; definitely _not_ the reaction she was expecting.

Rex wiped a tear from his eye as he caught his breath, “Maker Vix, that was a riot! But come on brother, we need to head out.”

“I wasn’t joking.”

The laughter immediately stopped. The look of confusion on both of their faces was enough to make Vix start laughing herself, but Cody spoke up before she could start.

“Are you seriously leaving Kamino? And what’s with the ‘Master Chief’ thing, Blitz?” 

“Jealous, _vod_?” Blitz jeered.

Cody stood stone-faced, not reacting to his brother’s jab, “Jealous? No. Confused? Absolutely.” 

“Blitz and I decided that some change would be good for us and we came to an agreement on how to move on. I will be heading the special ops training programs on Coruscant while Blitz focuses on cadet training. It’s a win-win situation, really,” Vix offered.

She knew this would be not only a big adjustment for her and Blitz, but pretty much everyone who had grown accustomed to her role as Master Chief over the past standard months. A silent conversation occurred between Rex and Cody as they took a moment to digest the new information.

“Alright then, I guess. We need to be boarding now,” Rex informed as he and Cody walked up the ramp.

Vix turned to face Blitz. Even in his intimidating yellow and black armor, she could see that the man in front of her wasn’t a soldier right now, but was her brother. She could swear on the Maker that unshed tears lined his eyes and his jaw tightened as he handed her bag over.

“I guess this is it,” he murmured. 

“I guess it is. Blitz, take care of yourself.” 

She hooks the satchel strap on her shoulder and begins to head up the ramp, but a call from Blitz gets her attention again.

“ _Aliit ori'shya tal'din, vod’ika_.”

She drops both bags at her side and rushes back down the platform to stand in front of him, as he takes her head and presses their foreheads together.

“Family is more than blood, brother,” she repeats. 

After a quick hug, Vix picks up her bags and trudges up the ramp to meet Rex and Cody at the top. She takes one last look out on the grey seas she has come to love and to the man she calls ‘brother’, before she steps into the ship and the massive ramp rises off of the Kaminoan dome.

The second the bay doors snap shut, she can feel the massive craft shifting beneath her feet as it starts its ascent off of Kamino, in preparation for the hyperspace jump.

She walks over to Rex and Cody, setting her heavy bags down on the ground, “So how long will the jump take?” 

“We should be arriving in Coruscant tomorrow morning just in time for the Geonosis anniversary memorial. General Kenobi and General Skywalker are dragging Rex and I along, but I can assign someone to escort you, Fives, and Echo to your new quarters once we land if ya like?” 

Vix smiles at the offer, “Thanks, Cody. So if we are spending the night on the ship, where should I leave my things?” 

Rex nervously rubs the back of his neck as he struggles to break eye contact with the Commander.

“Well there aren’t any spare officer’s quarters right now and we thought Blitz was coming along so…” 

“So…?” She draws out.

He takes a breath, “We have you staying in the 501st sector, in Sergeant Coric’s barracks.” 

Vix releases a sharp exhale. What was he so nervous about? Did he think she would freak out about staying with some troopers? She had been completely surrounded by them for the past year on Kamino, one night in a ship barrack wouldn’t kill her.

“Oh, okay. That’s totally fine, I really don’t care where I stay.” 

Rex started shifting nervously again, “Please don’t be mad at me.” 

“Rex, why would I be mad at you?” Vix narrowed her eyes, trying to study the man. Rex was never this nervous back in his leadership class a year ago. Had his Jedi really rattled him this much in just a year? Or was it an after effect of the war? She realizes it might just be how intimidating she usually is, because he takes a long, calming breath before he can even look at her.

“Because Coric’s squad includes Echo and Fives.” 

She slaps his shoulder a little too hard because the clone rubs it protectively, but he did kind of deserve it.

“Rex, you did this on purpose!” 

“No I swear, I-” 

Cody popped in between the two, “Do you know what, I think I hear Kenobi calling for me on the bridge! I’ll just take your bags, Vix, and put them in the barracks since they’re on my way,” he announced loudly.

“But-” She started to argue, but Cody had already scooped up both of her bags and began jogging towards a nearby hallway.

“Bye, Vix’ika. Good luck, Rex!” 

Now with Cody’s dramatic exit, Vix realized how many troopers had been witness to her flustered reaction. She grabbed Rex by the upper arm and practically dragged him out of the hangar, away from prying eyes.

“I swear even Blitz would have stayed in that room regardless, so it’s not to piss you off,” he insisted as he was lugged behind her.

She stopped at the entrance of a hallway and released his arm, trying to rationalize the situation.

_I guess it makes sense, I was kind of a surprise coming along and I don’t think Rex would be THAT bold._

“Hmmm, I guess I believe you.” 

“You know, your reaction doesn’t really support your claim that you and Fives are ‘just friends’...” Rex grumbled low enough for her to still hear.

“REX!” _What a cocky bastard._

Realizing how loud his name echoed down the metal hallway, she clasped a hand over her mouth, earning a chuckle from him.

“Ok, I’m sorry! Here, why don’t we go get some dinner and just take it easy, yeah?” 

“Fine! Man are you lucky that I like you, even when you’re acting like a di’kut. But you have been like this since I was your instructor, so why am I not surprised?” She sarcastically jibed, as he threw an arm around her shoulders.

“Somethings never change, Commander.” 

* * *

He guided her down the durasteel hallways, catching the eyes of troopers and officers who weren’t expecting someone of her rank to be wandering the ship. They turned a corner and the area became more familiar to her, realizing the last time she had been in the mess was immediately after Rishi. It was also when after her and Fives agreed to cut off contact, he had left another medal for her. Both of his medals lay tucked in a small box currently in one of her two bags she brought along with her; wherever Cody had taken them. The mess door slid open to reveal a sea of troopers in blue and orange armor stationed around the various cafeteria tables. Rex walked past her to a nearby table, where four 501st boys were obnoxiously howling and jostling each other from their seats. She stayed hidden behind Rex but could see Fives and Echo sitting with two troopers that looked slightly familiar, as they turned to acknowledge their CO.

“Hey Rex!” Said a trooper with blue tattoos running along his face and down the back of his skull.

“Hey Hardcase. Boys, I brought a visitor for ya,” he stepped aside to reveal her.

“Hiya boys.” 

Fives shot up from his seat and stood there slack-jawed while his brothers exchanged confused glances, “Vix!”

“Hey Fives...you can uh, sit down now,” she responded. 

Fives realized that he was in fact standing up and slowly lowered himself back down. He tucked his head away from her, but she could see a red tint appear around his cheeks and the tips of his ears. 

“Vix, this is Jesse and Hardcase. They’re also in Coric’s squad. I’ll let y’all get acquainted and I’ll go get us some food,” Rex offered as he headed towards the food line. Echo scooted over to make room for Vix as she sat down, squeezing in tight next to him and Fives.

From the other side of the table, Hardcase and Jesse pushed aside their food and leaned closer to Vix. “Well if it ain’t the famous ‘Master Chief’ we’ve heard so much about,” Jesse smoothly said.

“Actually just ‘Commander’ now. I have promoted Commander Blitz to the position,” she corrected. 

Echo shifted to face her, “Wait, why are you even here? Did something happen?” 

So much had just happened in the last 24 hours, where would Vix even begin to fill them in? She waited a beat, trying to think of the simplest answer to give; one that they wouldn’t question her more thoroughly on.

“I just decided it wasn’t for me and Blitz was more qualified for the job. Besides, who would pass up the opportunity to live in Coruscant?” 

Hardcase and Jesse seemed satisfied with that answer, Echo seemed a little less convinced, but Fives shifted by her side to face her. 

“So that’s the only reason?” The disappointment in his tone barely concealed the briefest glimmer of hope. Hope of what exactly, she couldn’t tell, but she desperately wanted to know. 

Jesse must have picked up on his phrasing as well based on his bewildered look he shot Fives, “What?” 

“Uh, I think what Fives _meant_ to say was we are honored to learn from you directly, Commander Phera,” Echo nervously covered for his brother. 

Jesse and Vix weren’t completely convinced by Echo’s distraction, only fooling Hardcase as he pulls his food tray back towards him and finishes the remainder of his meal. Rex returned to the table with a tray for the two of them; a large sandwich for him and a cup of caf for her. He definitely knew her ‘eating’ habits, or lack thereof. She cupped the steaming cup and nursed it as she thought of a way to pivot from the previous conversation.

“Sure… Well Rex just informed me that I’ll be staying in y’all’s barracks tonight, so what do you guys do for fun around here?” She asked.

“Awesome! Maybe we’ll play sabacc and bust out the Corellian whiskey; as long as you keep it a secret,” Hardcase mumbled through a full mouth of food, struggling to swallow it all down.

Jesse slapped Hardcase on the shoulder, “Did you just tell _two_ superior officers that we have contraband?” 

“Eh, I trust her. She seems cool. And it’s not like Rex doesn’t have his own stash,” Hardcase shrugged.

Vix noticed Rex’s head perk up from his meal at the accusation, and a wicked idea popped into her head.

“Hey, not my ship, not my problem. As long as ‘Rex-y’ here doesn’t mind, of course.” 

“Rex-y?” Echo tested the foreign word out loud. Rex groaned and slumped forward on the table, clutching his head in his hands.

“God Vix, now I’m never gonna hear the end of it,” he mumbled.

A sly smile grew on her face as she leaned over, “It’s just a little payback for our earlier conversation, ‘Rex-y’. How about if you let us have some fun, the boys and I won’t tell anyone else about your cute little nickname,” she cooed. 

He straightened, “Deal. But I ain’t joining ya, I don’t feel like babysitting tonight.” 

“Alright men, you heard the Captain. Lead the way.” Vix stood up from the table, with Jesse, Fives, Echo, and Hardcase stumbling from their chairs to follow her.

Jesse and Hardcase led the way while joking around with Echo, as they exit the mess and head down the hallway. A hand abruptly grabs Vix’s arm and gently pulls her backwards to slow down. Her eyes wander from the tan fingers clasped around her elbow up to the honey-brown eyes staring down at her.

“Why are you really here, Vix?” Fives whispered, trying not to be overheard by his brothers. She slowed her pace slightly as she half-heartedly responded.

“Like I said, Blitz and I-” 

Fives stepped in front of her suddenly, cutting off her rehearsed response, “You’re going to Coruscant _just_ to get away from your job?” 

“No. I mean yes, I uh… I guess partially?” The words spilling out from her lips at rapidfire. 

“Partially?” 

She nodded her head forward to signal them to walk again, as she debated whether or not to divulge the entirety of the situation. She didn’t really trust anyone except Blitz with the full truth...but she knew that Fives was someone worth trusting. Especially when he was unknowingly involved.

“The job was a lot to handle on my own and I know now that it definitely wasn’t worth treating you the way I did after Rishi. And of course I really do want to train you and Echo, so I guess I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to start over? Maybe try and be friends?” 

Fives stopped at what she recognized now as the barrack door with his back turned to her, before slowly turning to face her.

“Really?” His voice low and pleading.

“Yeah, would that be alright?” She realized now how close they were standing, the distance only getting smaller and smaller as both of their bodies shifted closer.

“Of course, I’d really like that...I’ve missed you.”

The confession made her breath hitch as she grew close enough to feel the warmth of his body and smell the newly buffed polish on his armor. 

Her hand cautiously reached out to touch his arm, “I’ve missed you too.”

The door swooshed open and the head of Hardcase shot out in between the two of them. Vix and Fives jumped away, trying to not look at one another.

“There you guys are! Come on, don’t keep the party waiting!”

The trooper rushed back inside to join his brothers, but Fives and Vix still lingered at the door. She extended her small hand out towards him, “So...we’re good?” 

His eyes shifted between her outstretched hand and her eyes, before a lopsided grin grew on his face.

“Yeah, we’re good,” returning the gesture with his large, gloved hand and giving a firm shake. Even through the fabric, she could feel the heat radiating off of him and wondered what it would feel like to touch his bare hand. Would it be warm and calloused like in her dreams? 

Their hands lingered in the hold, neither being brave enough to let go first. The sound of laughter reminded them of their surroundings and both reluctantly withdrew as Fives stepped through the doorway, followed by Vix.

The room was just like she had last seen it all those months ago, but with maybe a few more lewd posters and knick-knacks strung along the walls. Jesse and Hardcase were prodding their squadmates off of their bunks and towards the center of the room, with cries of protest and confusion coming from the unsuspecting men.

“Ay Kix! Bust out the Corellian whiskey for us!” Fives calls out as Vix slips behind his tall, solid frame.

“Why should I?” 

“We have a special guest,” he dramatically steps aside to reveal Vix and the five new clones before her jump into a frightened salute.

“Oh Gods all of you just cut that shit out,” she steps forward and gestures for them to stop. The trooper she remembers called ‘Coric’ rubs his neck unconsciously as he approaches her.

“Sorry, um why are you here? I thought Blitz would be staying with us,” he shyly asked.

“Well change of plans. I’ll be staying with y’all tonight. Is that okay?” 

Another trooper pushes his way in between the two, “Of course! Make yourself at home!” 

“Thanks, I’m Vixus, but you can just call me Vix,” she shakes his hand.

“I’m Kix.” 

Jesse joins alongside them, “Uh oh, your names are pretty similar. How will we ever tell you too apart?” Vix holds back a giggle as Kix stares down his brother for the ridiculous observation, while another clone groans beside them.

“Jesse, don’t be an idiot in front of the Commander.”

Vix turns to look at the clone. The large tattoo, angular haircut, and tone of disappointment is immediately familiar to her. “Oh, I definitely remember you from last time I was in here. Dogma, right?” 

At the mention of his name, Dogma snaps the sharpest salute Vix has ever seen and stands as straight as a board, “Sir, yes sir.” 

_This protocol bullshit is getting on my nerves._

“Will you call me anything other than ‘sir’ for the rest of the night?” 

“No sir.” 

Vix smacks his back roughly and shoots him a phoney smile, “Alright, great conversation there Dogma.” 

She walks farther into the barracks, looking around at each bunk trying to find her displaced belongings. Coric comes up beside her and gestures to a nearby bunk, where her bags lie undisturbed on the bottom level.

“If the bags Cody brought earlier were yours, they are sitting on that empty cot over there,” he informs her.

“Thank you. Why do you have an extra cot anyways?” 

The men shrink back and the room becomes tense as they each silently dared one another to answer, “We actually lost Denal back in the Devaron system, Cad Bane got’em,” Jesse responded.

“I’m... sorry to hear about that.” 

Coric cleared his throat, “But last time you were here, you didn’t get to me Sketch or Chopper,” two troopers timidly stepped forward, offering lazy salutes.

“That’s right, thanks Coric. It’s nice to meet y’all,” she extends her hand out.

The clone with the ‘S’ tattoo slowly grabs her hand and gives a firm shake, “You too, I’m Sketch.” 

“I’m Chopper, sir. It’s nice to finally put a face to the person Fives is always talking about,” the scarred clone teased.

“Oh really? Do say more.” 

Fives jumped in between them, “Uhh okay, why don’t we just drink a little and relax instead,” as he practically pushes Vix away from Chopper towards their makeshift table.

“But you can’t drink here! That’s against regulations!” Dogma pipes up.

“Well technically I’m the one that writes the regulations so if I say it’s alright this one time, then it’s alright,” she smuggly answers. The troopers pull up extra crates to sit on and Hardcase pulls the top off of one, revealing an excessive amount of liquor and other ‘contraband’.

Dogma stands cross-armed in the center of the room, refusing to help any of his brothers, “Well I still don’t have to like it.” 

“Dogma doesn’t like us breaking the rules? Shocking,” Kix grumbles.

Hardcase slaps Dogma on the back hard, “‘Doggie’ can’t stop us from having fun! Let’s all start with a shot before we start this part-ay!” He pushes a cup into Dogma’s hand and distributes the others, before filling each cup to the brim with a sharp, eye-watering liquid. Vix swirls the liquid in her glass, “Dogma, I’ll order you to join us if I have to.” 

“Fine, sir.” Begrudgingly, the clone sits down.

Coric lifts his cup, “Alright, what are we drinking to? Good health, end to the war, or something special?” 

They all take a moment to think of something, “Well tomorrow is the Battle of Geonosis anniversary, we could drink to that,” Echo offers.

“Nah, that’s too much of a downer. Let’s think of something else,” says Sketch.

Fives moves to the empty chair next to Vix, “I can’t think of anything.” He brushed up against her shoulder, cranking her internal body temperature up on high as she realized there was one thing they could drink to.

“Actually, I have something.” 

Jesse leaned over the table, “Whatcha got?” 

“I don’t really celebrate it or anything, and it’s not a big deal, but technically tomorrow is my name-day and I-” 

Hardcase nearly hops up on the table, “HAPPY NAME-DAY! Oh we gotta celebrate now! How old are ya turning?” He fully leans over the entire table, placing his head only inches from her startled face.

Jesse grabs his brother, “ _Vod_ , aren’t you not suppose to ask a woman what her age is?” 

“Nah, that’s just if you know they’re super old and wrinkly, and Vix doesn’t look anything like that. So how old are ya turning this year?” 

She suppresses a giggle, “I’ll be 24.” 

“You’re still a baby in my book! Let’s take a shot for the youngling, everyone! _K’oyacyi_!” Hardcase holds up his cup, enticing everyone to cheer in her honor. Her cheeks heat up from the attention, but the presence of Fives beside her grounds her to not shy away from this moment and actually try to have fun for once.

“ _K’oyacyi_!” 

* * *

Somehow the entire ship found out about their impromptu party. Troopers in grey dress uniforms and armor painted in blue and orange had filled the small living space, bringing with them more liquor and various contraband. She had never spoken to this many people before; catching up with everyone she had met on Kamino and meeting some fresh faces. Waxer and Boil from the 212th talked on and on about a little Twi’lek girl they had met during the Ryloth campaign. Kix and Jesse filled her in on all the new gossip swimming around the GAR. She even got Dogma to unwind a bit and answer his questions about a particularly boring subsection of a leadership manual she had written. The entire time, Fives stayed by her side. Introducing her to his brothers, refilling her drink or sharing food, and filling in small details about certain missions when she was being told a story.

Now after Maker knows how long, most of the clones had left the barrack with only a few lounging around on the floor or the crates; almost all of them passed out. Fives and Vix sat side by side on a cot, with Echo curled up asleep in her lap. She ran her agile fingers through his dark curls, watching as the stress and anger that comes with war fade away in his sleep.

“They seem like a good squad. Are you ready to leave all this behind?” She whispered.

“Yeah, I mean I’ll have Echo by my side and I can still work with the 501st, but it will be different that’s for sure. Echo and I have dreamed about being ARCs since we were younglings and it’s hard to believe that it’s actually happening.” He motions to shift Echo’s body towards him, with the sleeping clone softly protesting from the loss of Vix’s hands in his hair. 

Fives cradles him and resumes the rhythmic brushing of his brother’s curls, earning a sigh of peace from Echo as he snuggles closer to the almost empty bottle of whiskey in his arms.

With the weight off her legs, she shifted to draw her knees close to her chest, “This will be good for y’all. It won’t be easy and trust me, I ain’t a lenient teacher, but y’all are ready for it.” 

“I’m just glad we’ll have you to ourselves the entire time. We have so much to catch up on, and there is still so much I don’t know about you.” 

It still felt odd that someone actually wanted to know her. Months ago when they had first started messaging one another, it felt extremely vulnerable to even reveal the ins and outs of her day, so Fives learning any of her traits back then was highly unlikely. But now, it felt as though she ached to tell him everything, even trivial things. What her favorite color was. Her favorite food. Her career aspirations and life goals. The information threatened to spill out of her, but she knew the weight that some of this knowledge held.

“Well, what do you want to know? That you couldn’t find out from harassing Rex the past couple of months?” She playfully pushed his shoulder, earning an eye roll in return.

“That asshole promised not to tell you! Well, I guess we can start with the basics. Like who you really are, the woman behind ‘Commander Vixus Phera’,” he emphasized her official title.

Echo stirred slightly in his brother’s lap and this gave her the opportunity to slip the bottle away from his arms, taking one last swig to empty the liquor from the glass.

She shrugged, “I mean you know I’m turning 24 tomorrow, I used to be a bounty hunter, and I can hold my liquor,” she holds out the empty bottle, “ What else is there to learn?” 

“You know what I mean. Like where you were born, what your family is like, what your childhood was like. You automatically know my whole life story, so I should know yours.” 

He did bring up a good point, but he was starting to tread on dangerous ground if he began poking around the one thing she hated talking about; her past.

“I...don’t really want to talk about _that_.” 

“Oh come on! If we’re gonna be friends, I at least need to know _something_ about you!” Fives proclaimed.

“I know, just not about that.” Her heart rate started to pick up pace as brief moments flashed behind her eyes. The walls constructed in her mind were threatening to crumble, as memories long tucked away started to resurface.

Fives had a look of pure befuddlement on his face, but seemed determined to get an answer out of Vix, “Why’s that? Don’t you trust me?” 

“I do, it’s just I…” He cuts her off.

“See then it’s alright! Just tell me!”

She doesn’t even realize she has shot off of the mattress until Fives grabs her arm to stop her from leaving. 

“Fives, I said no,” her volume no longer muted as a courtesy for the sleeping men around her.

He playfully pleads with her, “Just one little thing-” 

“NO!” She rips her arm from his gentle grasp and stalks away from the bunk towards the center of the room. Drunken clones slowly stir from the verbal alarm and peer at the fuming woman before them.

She points towards the barrack door, “Party is over, lights out,” she barks to the lingering men. Troopers snap into sobriety and practically run out of the room, leaving Vix with the members of Coric’s squad. She doesn’t even acknowledge their puzzlement towards her outburst as she throws her armor pieces on the ground and slips under the covers of her cot, shutting out the world around her.

* * *

Sleep was impossible. At this point she has either been curled up on the cot for four minutes or four hours, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t quiet her mind. Her outburst was not only extremely unprofessional for her to have done, but also childish. Deep down she knows Fives wasn’t purposefully trying to make her upset, but it was still the last thing she wanted to talk about after a night of partying. 

As she tossed and turned throughout the night, she tried to figure out why she was so afraid. Was she afraid of the memories coming back to haunt her or something else? She slowly began to realize maybe it wasn’t the subject matter necessarily, but its’ target audience. 

Fives was right; she did automatically know his entire life up until this point. Decantation, training, war. She doesn’t know the specifics before their first meeting around his graduation, but the past year on Kamino was enough to give her a good idea of his unorthodox childhood. In a way, she could also say her early years weren’t ‘typical’ so he might understand why she was so defensive, but what if he didn’t accept it? The only other person that knew who the real ‘Vixus Phera’ is was 99, but her secrets now lie at the bottom of the Kaminoan oceans. 99 was incapable of hurting Vix, let alone a fly, but Fives… The thought of him hurting her, rejecting who she is, made bile rise in her throat and quickened the onslaught of anxious thoughts popping up in her head.

She scanned the room, studying the shadowy figures tangled in their bedding, as the muffled sounds of snoring echoed throughout the steel-plated room. She didn’t know what time it was, but laying in bed stressing about the situation wasn’t helping the day start any sooner. 

She slipped out from the thin blanket and grabbed her boots before she tiptoed out of the room and out into the hallway. The moment the door slid shut, she put on her shoes and began walking down the hall; starting to figure out her location within the massive ship. After a brief walk, she finally gets to her target location; an observation deck. 

The room lies empty of personnel, illuminated by the white flashing glow of hyperspace from its large glass-panelled windows. She sneaks towards the window and sits on the ground with her knees to her chest, as she studies the passing lights. She has only been in hyperspace a few times, but it never stops shocking her with it’s beauty and mystique. Time flies as she continues staring out of the window, trying to figure out her thoughts about Fives when she hears the door behind her slide open and then shut. Adrenaline surges as she prepares to shoot up and face the newcomer, but the gloved hand of a trooper eases onto her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to scare ya, I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Fives asked as he sat on the floor beside her.

“How did you know I was here?”

Fives leaned back to rest on his outstretched hands, “I remembered you once told me that you liked watching the ocean on Kamino. Said it helped you clear your mind. So I figured it would probably work the same way with hyperspace, am I right?”

She exhaled sharply, “Yeah you were right. Smart man, hopefully that intuition of yours helps ya in ARC training.” 

Fives grew stiff by her side as he sat up and faced her, “Vix, I’m sorry about last night. I should have kept my big mouth shut and not pried. I’d blame the alcohol, but it was just me being ‘me’ really. You don’t have to tell me anything, if you’ll still let me be your friend then that’s all that matters.”

Vix curled her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. This was it; was she going to coward out and push yet another person away? Or was she going to tell Fives, _her friend_ , everything?

“I was born on Raxus.”

Fives cocked his head to the side at the statement, “What?”

_I can do this. For him._

She took a breath, “I was born on Raxus, not on Umbara like you probably think. My mother was Umbaran and my father was human; he bought her in a slave market on Zygerria when she was about my age. I know he was extremely abusive and it got worse once she became pregnant. She died in childbirth, I don’t think she had the will to live anymore, and my father wanted nothing to do with me. Maybe... I reminded him too much of her or maybe it was because I was mixed species, I don’t really know. But he made it very clear to me that I wasn’t wanted. I don’t know what finally pushed him to do it, but he abandoned me on Umbara when I was seven. After that, I grew up on the streets of the Capital doing whatever I could to survive and eventually started bounty hunting to earn credits. I thought maybe if I made enough money from it, I could buy my way off that planet and hunt down my father. But then Raxus became the Separatist capital and travel to that system became restricted, so any chance of finding him was lost. I must have gotten a good reputation as a hunter, because Bric found me in a dive bar on Umbara and recruited me to work for the Kaminoans right when the war broke out.” 

She turned to look at him, noticing his now furrowed eyebrows and the deep line forming on his forehead. He sat quietly, eyes flicking back and forth across the floor. 

The silence crept into the back of her mind, _Oh Maker I knew this was a mistake._

In a flash he was kneeling in front of her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and drawing her into his chest. The sudden movement made her jump, but he firmly held her in his arms as she slowly realized what was happening. She found herself melting into his touch, slowly snaking her arms around his waist and leaning her head into his chest.

If anyone before had surprised her with a hug, they would be nursing a broken jaw right about now. But just being near him, feeling his warmth radiating through his plastoid armor, smelling the faint hint of GAR-issued soap and natural spice that screamed ‘Fives’; it was definitely the best hug of her life. Fives pulled away first, much to her silent displeasure, and held her tightly by her shoulders.

“I’m so glad you told me, I can imagine it wasn’t easy trusting me with this,” he offered.

She took a shaky breath as she centered herself, “It...wasn’t. But the only other person that knew this was 99 and now that he is gone…Someone should know the real me, not the mask I’ve worn my entire life.” 

“Thank you for telling me the truth. This probably wasn’t the best way to start your name-day, was it?” 

She shrugs, “Eh don’t worry about it. I’ve spent pretty much every birthday alone, so it’s nice to have someone by my side today.” 

His grip on her shoulders tightens and he leans forwards slightly, “I promise to stay by your side in this war, Vix. You will never again spend another birthday alone, okay?” 

The promise stealing her breath, “Fives, I-thank you.” 

The hull lunges forward as the flashing lights outside snap off and are replaced with a sea of distant stars. Fives and Vix shift to see the oncoming shape of a planet, orbited by endless cruisers and starfighters bearing the open circle crest.

“Looks like we’ve arrived on Coruscant,” Fives offers as he turns back to face her.

“Are you ready for this?” She asks as he helps her stand up.

“With you? Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently my kink is causing angst to occur constantly for these two. I do not apologize for my actions.


	10. Welcoming Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Fives and Vix chapter! POV switches at the lines

The golden forests of Raxulon, the glowing Umbaran capital, and the massive domes of Tipoca City paled in comparison to how breathtaking Coruscant was.

Fives had offered to retrieve their belongings, along with collecting Echo, so she could watch the Galactic City grow closer and closer through the observation deck viewport. When she was little, she had heard stories about how grand the expansive city-planet was. But seeing it in person, seeing the buildings stretch beyond the horizon and the dizzying web of traffic lanes, was probably one of the best name-day presents she had ever received in her now 24 years; second only to the hug Fives had given her minutes prior.

The Star Destroyer began making its final approach, so she tore herself away from the window and headed down towards the hangar to meet up with her men. As she walked in, she spotted both men completely surrounded by their 501st brothers, getting their last ‘goodbyes’ and ‘good lucks’ before they officially became ARC trainees. At her arrival, the lingering soldiers offered salutes and scattered off in various directions, leaving the three of them alone.

“All your gear is here,” Fives offers her one of her bags, the other laying by his side.

She opens it and begins pulling her armor pieces and weapons out, “Thanks, where is your bag?” 

Echo gestures to the small pack hung on his shoulder, “This is all our stuff. Sorry if we seem like hoarders, there was just too much we couldn’t part with.”

“Echo, that bag is practically empty.”

He shrugs, “Well, what else would you expect two clones to own?”

She tried not to think about how causal his tone was in his response, as she quickly clipped the pieces of her minimal armor together and placed her blasters in their holsters.

The ship lunged as it touched down, causing her to lose her footing and stumble forward before two arms grabbed her tightly around the waist.

“Whoa there, Vix. You alright?” Fives lifted her gently back on her feet and looked her over to make sure she was okay.

She lightly pulled his hands away from her waist, but held them close, “Yeah, I’m alright. Sorry, guess I don’t have my spacefaring legs yet.” 

He slips his hands out of her grip, shyly glancing around the room and at Echo who purposefully looked away from the trooper and the Commander. She hadn’t even realized what this physical contact might look like to bystanders, she needed to be more aware of her surroundings. The mechanical cry of the giant bay doors opening startled her and she watched the ship’s ramp slowly descend. 

Daylight flooded their position and warmed the chill that had settled in her bones from the cold, recirculated air. She grabbed both of her bags and strode down the ramp, with Fives and Echo scurrying behind to catch up. At the bottom of the ramp sat a Senate-class transport, guarded by a handful of shock troopers as they waited at attention for further instructions. 

She stopped her pace, letting the boys catch up to her, “Do you know who is coming to get us?” Echo asked.

“No, I have no idea. Cody said he would send _someone_ , but never specified _who_.” 

A Coruscant guard stepped out of the craft, the red symbol of the Galactic Senate glowing brightly in the sun, and waved towards the three of them. They eyed one another, before silently agreeing to continue heading towards the transport, as the trooper in red strutted to meet them at the bottom of the ramp.

“Commander Vixus Phera, welcome to Coruscant.” 

There was only one trooper in the whole GAR that was allowed to call her by her full name.

“Commander Fox! It’s great to see you!” 

They clasped forearms briefly in greeting, before Fox lifted his helmet off and held it in the crook of his arm. The last time she had seen him was at his command class graduation on Kamino nearly a year ago, when him and the rest of his classmates all rocked the same cropped haircut and youthful faces. Now, his hair had a salt and pepper quality and a deep worry line was formed on his forehead; probably, she assumes, from his constant stress as Head Commander of the Coruscant Guard.

“Good to see you too, Commander. Cody told me about Kamino, I’m sorry to hear about your Rancors.”

“Thank you. I heard about Ponds, are you and the others doing alright?” She gently asked.

Fox stiffened, “It’s been pretty tough this past year with Wolffe’s eye and now this, but we’re getting through it. Loss has become second nature to us, hasn’t it?” 

She was shocked; if emotionally-closeted Fox was admitting that him and the other commanders were struggling, then it was more serious than she thought.

She nodded to herself, “The unfortunate price of war. Oh right, this is Fives and Echo, the newest trainees to the ARC program,” she watched as they offered crisp salutes to Fox, met only with narrowed eyes from the veteran clone.

“I’m Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard. You two better watch it, Commander Phera isn’t a slacker in the training room,” he warned.

Vix had to roll her eyes; Fox’s protective demeanor towards her clearly hadn’t wavered since Kamino. 

“Whatever, you and the rest of your training class needed some extra tough love,” playfully slapping his shoulder. 

A lopsided grin barely grew on his face, an extreme display of emotion for Fox to offer anyone.

Fives scooted closely beside Vix, which must have upset Fox as he shot the younger clone a death stare. 

_The Commander must be in a choice mood today._

“Vix, I knew you taught the leadership classes as well, but I didn’t think you would have instructed the command batch,” Fives said.

“Well after the Battle of Geonosis, the ‘command batch’ was created to distinguish clones that showed promising leadership in the attack. So when I got hired, they were my first group of troops I worked with before they were assigned to their specific units.” 

Echo piped up, “Who was all in your training class, Commander Fox?” She noticed he didn’t earn a death glare from Fox like his brother. 

_Did Fox have something against Fives? They literally just met a minute ago._

She thought of the possible reasons for his reaction while Fox spoke,“Well let’s see… me, Cody, Wolffe, Ponds, Bacara, Gree, Bly...am I missing someone?” 

“Rex,” she added.

He huffed, “Oh yeah, always forget our _vod’ika_ was with us.” 

Fives nudged her shoulder, “Vix, is there a commander or captain that you haven’t trained?” 

Fox snapped towards Fives before she even had a chance to answer, “The _Commander_ has perfectly trained every clone commanding officer in the Grand Army, and has a shit-ton of us boys looking out for her. So don’t you two mess up, or every commander and captain in this entire army will hear about it and be at your throats.” If looks could kill, Fives would be long gone. She stepped in between the two soldiers, squeezing Fives’ shoulder in reassurance.

“Fox is just joking about the last part, obviously,” she eyes him to stand down. Fox sighs deeply and moves a step back from the shocked trooper, “So Commander, are you taking us to our new home or what?” She asks.

Fox waves over two of his troopers, who promptly grab the bags out of Vix and Echo’s hands. “Actually before that, I have been requested to bring you before the Supreme Chancellor.” 

“What? Why?” She exclaims.

Fox grumbles, “He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. We need to get moving, he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” 

Something about this office didn’t sit right with her.

Fox had insisted that Fives and Echo wait outside the chamber doors with the other troopers, allowing only the two of them to step into the Supreme Chancellor’s office. Dark burgundy walls enclosed them as they walked through a corridor, lined with artwork and sculptures that probably cost more credits than the entirety of the war budget. 

Fox, his face hidden under his helmet, guided her to a desk that sat in the middle of the parlor room, illuminated by the expansive bay windows that lay behind it. He pulled a chair out for her and she sat down, the rich velvet fabric shifting beneath her. 

Based on her less-than-pleasant interactions with Prime Minister Lama Su, she didn’t particularly like politics or the people in this line of work. They seemed cold, distant, too proud to admit their faults and too devious to care about others. This office held all of those qualities and she could only assume that the Chancellor himself would share the same characteristics.

Behind her she could hear the entrance doors slide open and the patter of feet along the thick carpet.

“Your Excellency, may I present Commander Vixus Phera,” Fox’s voice hissed through his vocabulator.

An elderly man dressed in exquisite robes rounded her seat as she stood up to meet him, “Ah yes, welcome to Coruscant my dear.” He grabbed her outstretched hand with both of his, holding it warmly in his palms. This did not seem like the manipulative, calculating politician that she had come to know. It was shocking to see someone so warm, so inviting, so harmless be in charge of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Senate.

She bowed her head, “It is an honor to meet you, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Forgive me if I mess up on any protocol when addressing you, we don’t get to interact with people of your esteem every day on Kamino.” 

Palpatine chuckled warmly, “Oh nonsense, Commander, you flatter me! Please have a seat,” as he sat in his massive chair across from her.

“You are probably wondering why I have asked to speak with you, yes?” 

“Yes, is something wrong?” She cautiously asked.

“No my dear, no. I simply find it ridiculous that after a year of us in this dreadful war, I am only just now meeting the woman responsible for the training of the Republic’s soldiers. Which of course I am to blame for, running an entire galaxy doesn’t prescribe one with much free time to visit Kamino. But Commander Fox here, always speaks so highly of you,” he gestured for the Commander to approach them from his position by the door.

“Does he now?” 

“Why yes, he has led me to believe that perhaps we aren’t utilizing your skills to their fullest potential,” Palpatine leans back in his chair, grinning playfully at the clone. She could see by her side Fox shifting his head away from her and fidget nervously. 

_I can’t tell but I think Fox might actually be blushing under that bucket of his._

“If this is about the ‘Master Chief’ role, I assure you-” 

The Chancellor held up his hand to stop her, “No goodness me, my apologies for all the worry. I feel that you are too valuable of an asset to have kept you on that dreary planet, and I am thrilled to have you here with us in the Capital.” 

Oh. That definitely is a lot better than getting scolded by the leader of the Galactic Republic.

Palpatine studied her for a moment, before turning again to face Fox, “In fact, Commander Fox?” 

“Yes, sir?” 

“Do we have an available safe-house Miss Phera could use?” Fox walked away immediately as he began typing on his wrist comm.

Stunned by the request she stammered, “Thank you, but I assure you the GAR barracks will be fine, at least until I can find an apartment here.” 

The Chancellor tisked as he shook his head, “Nonsense! You are my esteemed guest, and a woman of your importance deserves to have a proper home.” 

Fox re-approached the two, “All done, sir. I’ll take her right away to get settled.” 

“Excellent! Now I hate to be rude and cut our meeting short, but the Geonosis anniversary celebrations await me. Rest assured that we will have more discussions in the future about your role in the Republic, yes?” Both of them stood up, and Palpatine once again took Vix’s hand in his, giving it a squeeze before heading out of the room.

“Yes, Supreme Chancellor. Thank you.” 

Vix moved to stand beside Fox, “He really didn’t need to do that.” 

“I for one agree with the Chancellor. Someone of your rank and esteem shouldn’t be staying in the barracks with us. Besides, we have a variety of safe-houses spread across Galactic City, it feels like a waste to not use them.” 

She didn’t like how he implied that the clones were somehow ‘lesser’ than her, but that’s an argument she has been having with too many people all too often. She gestures to the door, “Alright, well hopeful you picked the simplest one.” 

“Fox, I don’t think this is the simplest safe-house you have access to.” 

It was no 500 Republica, but it was definitely way too nice of an apartment to just be given the keys like it was nothing. Fox had given her the rundown on the transport over; the one bedroom apartment was usually reserved for senators or other delegates with death threats, so it wouldn’t be as he put it, ‘flashy’ as some other safe-houses he could have selected. From the moment they stepped through the entrance, Fives and Echo explored every inch of the well-decorated flat, going through each room with great awe and practically drooling over how nice the place was.

“For a senatorial safe-house, it is simple. But I think I can work out a deal with the Chancellor to gift this place to you, if you want it,” Fox offered.

Fives’ head shot out of the bedroom door, “Vix, you have to take it. This is the nicest place I have ever stepped foot in! 

Echo came up and dragged her to the massive bay windows that lined the apartment walls. “Please take it! I can see the whole Senate district from here, and if you squint hard enough you can see the outlines of the military complex over there.” 

She loved seeing the boys so excited and it was probably the nicest apartment she would ever have in her life. _Maybe just rationalize this as a name-day present, you deserve something nice for once. And it would be rude to refuse the Supreme Chancellor._

“I guess this will do, for now. Thank you, Fox,” she grabbed his shoulder. 

He stiffened slightly from the contact, but slowly relaxed at her touch, “Of course, Vixus. Anything for you. Let’s head out troopers, time to let the Commander settle in.” 

Fives and Echo both let out disappointed sighs from their spots in the apartment and dragged themselves towards the two commanders.

“I’ll meet the two of you at the entrance to your barracks after breakfast, let’s say 0700?” 

Both troopers offered quick salutes, “Of course. Goodnight, Vix,” said Fives, with Echo adding a farewell too. The apartment door slid shut after the three clones left, leaving Vix completely alone in her massive new home.

* * *

The first night in the barracks had been...interesting. 

Because the ARC program transfer from Kamino to Coruscant was so sudden, Echo and Fives had been put in the Coruscant Guard barracks. They had definitely earned some stares and hushed comments when the two of them had arrived at the complex the night before, especially after a silent transport ride with Commander Fox to the facility. The entire trip, Fives could feel Fox’s eyes burning a hole in his head and even Echo had commented on the Commander’s noticeable dislike of the trooper as soon as they parted in the hangar. He didn’t know what, or even if, he did something wrong to cause this disapproval; maybe he figured it was just protectiveness over Vix. Not that he would ever do anything to hurt her, but it’s not like he can go confess his true thoughts and emotions to the most decorated soldier in the whole GAR. So he will just have to avoid Fox’s ire and his new Corrie bunkmates until Echo and him graduate the program.

They both dressed in workout shirts and gym shorts and had a quick breakfast, before the two of them met Vix in front of their barracks.

Vix had her nose in a small datapad until she noticed them approaching. She was dressed in her usual black armor, looking every bit as dangerous and beautiful as she usually did.

_No don’t think ‘beautiful’, she is officially your commanding officer now. Focus, di’kut._

“Good morning, you two,” she greeted. Just seeing her, hearing her voice made him excited to start their first day of training.

“Good morning,” they greeted.

She pushed off of the wall, “Are y’all ready to start?”

“Yes, sir!” 

They entered a room surrounded with mirrors and with a cushioned floor, with various exercise equipment scattered in the back.

“Alright, get warmed up and then we’ll start.” 

Echo wandered over to the equipment, while Fives did some stretches on the floor, noticing that Vix was passively flipping through her datapad and not getting warmed up herself. Whatever her plan was for their first day, it didn’t seem like she was going to participate in it. 

After a few minutes she called the boys over to the mat, “Okay, so I can get a better idea of where the two of you are at, I’ll have you spar one another.” 

He flexed his muscles jokingly, “You ready for a show, Commander,” jostling Echo as they got into ready positions.

His brother rolled his eyes, “Yeah Commander, you ready to see how easy it is to kick Fives’ _shebs_?” 

Vix suppressed a laugh as both settled into their positions across one another. With a brief countdown from Vix, both troopers lunged. Fives and Echo had always favored one another during their lessons on Kamino, so it became pretty clear right away that they knew each other’s moves and were equally matched. Both landed a few hits here and there, but neither held the obvious upper-hand. 

A few minutes in, Vix called for a stop, “Both of you did really good. Echo, you’ll go first. Are you ready?” 

“Ready for what?” Echo panted slightly.

“To fight me.” 

“What?” 

Vix started unhooking the holsters from her hips and thigh, eventually removing the pieces of her upper armor.

“Well yeah, how else do you think you are going to learn? Get into position.” 

Echo timidly walked back to his starting position, while Vix undressed down to her long sleeve shirt and pants and got into a starting position. Even without her armor and pistols, she still looked every bit capable of beating Echo to a pulp.

Fives gave the countdown and Echo lunged. Vix stepped out of the way, letting Echo try to chase her down. Blocking every attempt and dodging his body, they circled one another as Echo became more and more offensive in his attacks. Vix jumped away and straightened up, resting her arms at her side. 

_What the hell is she doing?_

Seizing his opportunity, Echo charged and started to throw a punch near her head. As soon as his hand was near her face, she grabbed his forearm and using their combined momentum, threw him over her shoulder and smacked him on the ground. The noises coming from Echo clearly meant the air was knocked out of his lungs, as Vix hovered over him.

“Do you want me to point out your mistakes, or do you think you have a good understanding of what went wrong?” 

Echo finally got a breath in, “No, I should have realized you were baiting me. I was using all of my energy and got frustrated, won’t happen again.” 

A sly smile grew on her face as she offered her hand and helped the clone stand back up on wobbly feet.

She turned to face the other trooper, “Alright Fives, you ready to get your ass kicked?” 

“Don’t get cocky, Commander. I think I can take ya,” he crossed his arms and strode over to his starting position.

“We’ll see about that.” 

Fives watched as her fingers trailed down to the tucked in hem of her shirt and in one motion, pulled the shirt over her head. He always thought she was beautiful, but now seeing the definition of her toned muscles and the light layer of sweat that coated her pale skin was downright stunning. She turned to throw her shirt to the side, and Fives stole a quick look at her body; noting the cropped sports bra she wore and the multitude of white scars that raced across her skin. He knew she was doing this to throw him off, but two could play this dangerous game. With one hand he reached behind his back and tore his t-shirt off as well, tossing it aside towards Echo. Vix must have not expected that, as he could see her eyes roam wildly over his tanned skin and muscles.

“See, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve too,” he cooed, seeing a light blush grow on her cheeks. 

Echo started the countdown and both lunged, blocking and dodging each other’s attacks. He was definitely larger and a little stronger than she was, but Maker was this woman fast. Punch after punch, kick after kick, she moved with a grace and confidence that Fives could only dream about, and while he could be a gentleman and let her win, he wanted to push her even further.

“Alright, I think both of you have proven a point,” Echo called from the sidelines.

Fives huffed as he blocked a punch, “Not yet, Echo. If I beat her, then that will be some major street-cred.” Both Fives and Vix gave devious smiles as they circled around the mat.

“Fine, when I hear your pleas of surrender I’ll make sure every commander in the whole GAR knows you cry like a baby,” she mocked.

Vix suddenly dove beneath him and grabbed his legs, slamming him on the floor before she climbed on top of his back. He flipped her over and they began rolling on the floor until eventually Vix was straddling Fives’ hips, holding down both of his outstretched arms. At this point in the spar, both were panting heavily and covered in sweat, as they stared at one another from their respective positions.

“What are the two of you doing?” 

A voice from the training room door grabbed their attention, as Fox and Cody walked in wearing their workout gear.

“What does it look like?” Vix and Fives both blustered.

Fox crossed his arms and huffed, “Well what it looks like is the beginnings of a public indecency arrest, especially out in a military, government-operated facility.”

Both Vix and Fives realized she was straddling him right at hip level and broke free of one another, standing up to meet the commanders waiting next to Echo.

Echo offered both of them water as they continued to breathe heavily, “What are you two even doing here?” She asked after taking a sip.

“Well we remembered that you like to do sparring on the first day, figured we could come give you a hand. Or continue watching both of you make fools of yourself in front of poor Echo,” Cody raised an eyebrow at Vix, causing her already present blush to deepen.

She sighed, “Actually I wouldn’t mind having the two of you join us. Maybe show them a move or two?” 

Fox approached her and offered her shirt back, “Of course, anything for you sir.” 

This was the second time Fives had heard him say that to Vix and he definitely didn’t like the way the Commander looked at her, something about it made his blood boil. 

Vix approached him and shifted on the balls of her feet before extending a hand out,

“Fives...um, good match.” 

He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze,“Yeah uh...you too.” 

Echo came up beside both of them and threw an arm around each one of their shoulders, “I did a good job also, right Commander?” 

Vix laughed at the brother’s comment, her laugh sounded hearty and warm and perfect to Fives’ ears.

“Yes, Echo. Well done.” 

* * *

Training the past few weeks was going extremely well. 

Every day from 0700 until the sun had well set on the horizon, the three of them spent every moment training and learning everything about one another. Echo was reading a book on military strategy and wanted to develop an algorithm that could predict Separatist attacks by analyzing previous battles from helmet HUD footage. Fives had expressed an interest in studying mechanics, so she found a destroyed speeder in the Coruscant Guard’s maintenance bay and reserved it for him to tinker with; sometimes even sitting and chatting with him as he worked.

Spending this time with them helped her job feel easy, and dare she say, fun at times. They had spent the entire afternoon at her apartment, going over the ARC regulation manuals and trying to take a break from the GAR training rooms to unwind a little. The end of their training was rapidly approaching and she wanted them to be as confident in their abilities as she was.

The sun had long set and the neon lights of Coruscant now glowed from her apartment windows. Vix finished unpacking the burgers they had ordered from Dex’s Diner and brought it to her dining room table, where both troopers sat with a multitude of datapads spread around them.

“How is the reading going?” She placed the food down on the table for all of them. Fives grabbed his plate as he passed his datapad towards her.

“There is actually one section I’m struggling to understand; section 7, subsection 31,” he shows her on the screen.

Echo drags his plate towards him and takes a bite of his food, “I would agree, even I had a hard time wrapping my head around it.”

“You’re telling me ‘Mr. Reg Manual’ is having a hard time with this? This section deals with independent thought, what is confusing about that?” She sat down in between the two clones and began eating.

Fives shrugged, “Well the Kaminoans engineered us to be completely obedient to orders, it’s like we survive solely on organization and guidance. But the ARC program was designed to inspire independent thought and action, which goes against our programming.” 

“The Kaminoans _did_ manipulate your genetic material to make you more compliant to direction, but they didn’t ‘program’ you like you’re droids. You have the ability to think and act however you want, just like any other being in the galaxy. I’m so sick of the mindset that y’all aren’t allowed to think for yourselves. That is why I created the ARC program, to encourage independent thinking and show that y’all have the capabilities to make decisions for yourselves.”

Echo leaned over in his chair towards her, “We appreciate that, Vix. But it goes against everything we were progr- I mean raised to believe. I can’t speak for every clone, but I don’t know if we are truly capable of being independent.” 

She sat back in her chair and contemplated his words carefully. She didn’t know the true extent of the clone’s development, mostly because she assumed there were some barbaric experiments and genetic manipulation that would have made her question her role as a clone instructor. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt that these were men, not Kaminoan science experiments.

“Hmmm… let’s take this section of the manual and use it for a situation, yeah?” 

“Alright,” Fives said as she thought about a situation for them to analyze.

“A live grenade is thrown into a crowd of civilians. What would you do? Think of yourselves as ARCs, not an average clone trooper. You know the objective is to protect the civilians, but how you do that is entirely up to you. How would you save them? Echo?”

He thought for a moment before answering, “If I knew there was no way for both myself and the civilians to survive, my first instinct would be to jump on it and shield everyone from the blast. The lives of others outweigh my singular life.”

“Interesting, good thinking. Of course I hope you will never come to a situation where you have to sacrifice yourself like that. Fives, I’ll give you a different situation. Let’s say you are ordered by a superior to round up civilians in the hopes that they will divulge the location of a target individual. They comply, but your commanding officer demands you execute those arrested after the target has been apprehended. What would you do?” 

The trooper sat quietly for a moment, “Well this is similar to Order 37, which mandates the same thing except civilians are only to be executed if they do not comply. May I say something...controversial?” He added.

“Please do, that is the point of this lesson,” both her and Echo leaned in closer.

“Even if Order 37 was issued and the civilians refused to release the information on the target, I still wouldn’t execute them.” 

Echo gasped slightly, “But it’s one of the 150 main contingency orders! To refuse an order of that magnitude would mean-.” 

Fives cuts him off, “A court-martial, I know. And I would like to think that I follow orders, more or less. Civilians are innocent, regardless if they belong to the Republic or the Seppies, and I don’t think I could live with myself if I killed the same people we are fighting to protect.” 

Never before had she heard this level of independent thought in one of her ARCs; very controversial indeed. All three sat quietly, none of them touching their food or the various datapads around them, until Echo spoke up.

“I...agree. I would much rather be in prison knowing I had fought for my own moral code than having innocent blood on my hands.” 

They were actually getting it. The lesson she had struggled with her previous trainees the most, to think like a human for once, not a droid. And they were actually getting it. Fives’ opinion was a little too extreme for the purposes of a soldier, but maybe with more field experience would he realize the fine line ARCs needed to tiptoe between honor _and_ duty.

She grinned brightly, “Both of you do realize that those thoughts, those feelings, those emotions, prove that you are _more_ than what the Kaminoans have led you to believe? Those doubts you have make you human, and that’s the type of trooper that makes it through this program.” 

Fives chuckled, “Really? I guess having thoughts and emotions will take some getting used to, huh?” 

Vix and Echo joined in on the laughter, “Yeah, but I’ll be at your sides the entire time. Now any other questions on section 7?” 

“No, sir.”

“Good, now let’s finish eating.”

* * *

Vix had collected them at their usual meeting spot, but had led them to a part of the massive GAR complex they had never explored before. She stopped right in front of a door at the end of the hallway and turned to face them.

“Alright boys, with your final test tomorrow, I think it’s time you got your ARC gear.”

Fives grabbed his brother’s shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze,“Yes! Finally, about time we started lookin’ like ARC troopers!” 

Echo slapped his hand away, “Because people couldn’t tell already by how you never shut up about it?” He dramatically reacted to the teasing, while Vix and Echo high-fived one another.

“Nice one, Echo. He is right Fives, you never shut up about it,” she slyly agreed.

He casually threw an arm around her shoulders, “Well excuse me for trying to make my Commander proud.”

In the past two months on Coruscant, he had learned so much about Vix and grew to love her teasing and sarcasm that often rivaled his own. She had talked more about her childhood with him, eventually growing comfortable enough to tell Echo what had happened to her. She told Fives how she still struggled to eat enough and take care of herself because it still felt odd to have access to food and luxuries. She had encouraged him to fix the speeder in the Corrie garage all by himself and had gratefully accepted the keys after he completed the repairs. Learning about her, working with her, just being with her, made the past two months the best of his life.

Vix pushed them through the doorway, where floor-to-ceiling racks of plastoid stretched in endless rows down the brightly-lit room.

“I’m gonna show you where each of your gear pieces is located. Because you are going to be using the experimental gear I’ve been working on, it’s gonna feel and look a little different so I’ll walk y’all through each piece and how to wear it.”

Vix flagged down a small service droid, who returned with a large bin for them to use. The three of them began exploring the racks, as she pulled out various pieces of new white armor and placed it in the bin held by Echo. Eventually after a couple of minutes, she guided them both to a corner of the room where various benches and lockers sat.

She took the bin and placed it by her side, “Both of you, strip down to your blacks.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me. We need to try on the pieces to make sure they fit and see if you want to customize it,” she responded cooly. 

She had seen him, both of them, in their blacks and even partially undressed during sparring sessions, but suddenly Fives grew hot underneath his current set of armor.

Echo cleared his throat, “I actually already read up on how to wear the gear, and I already know what pieces I want to add.” 

“Excellent, Echo. Why don’t you go find your attachments and I’ll help you put them on once I’m done with Fives.” 

“Great, thanks Commander!” She pointed Echo in the direction of the customized attachments and he scurried off towards their location, leaving Vix and Fives alone. He started to undo the fastenings on his armor and set the pieces down on one of the benches, turning to face Vix once he was completely bare of plastoid. She grabbed the bin and started separating the pieces into two piles for both troopers

“I’ll give you the pieces you are familiar with, I think you know how to put on your own codpiece.” 

“Why? You don’t want to help me with that?”

It takes him long enough to see the blush grow on Vix’s cheeks to realize what he just stupidly blurted out.

He winces, “Sorry, that was...sorry.” 

Her blush grows even deeper, but she grabs his new codpiece and shyly offers it to him, “It’s okay, here ya go.” 

“Thank you,” he starts putting on the new armor and he can’t help feeling like a ‘shiny’ again. He remembers the first time he put on his hard shell after graduation; it was so long ago and so much has changed since then. The only constants have been having Echo and now Vix by his side. The armor is definitely different from what he is accustomed to. It already feels lighter and more comfortable than his old armor, but he knows that the ARC gear is going to add another 40lbs to his gear. 

_Thank the Kaminoans, retched monsters they were, for engineering the clones to be strong bastards._

“Alright, we are gonna start from the bottom and work our way up. So we have your foot armor, but don’t think this means you can go kicking droids like you’re Commander Cody,” she kneels down and presses two curved pieces on the top of his boots.

He grins down at her, “No problem, I’m pretty reckless but I ain’t at his level of crazy.” Vix stands up and reaches back to his pile, pulling out a belt with two large black leather pieces attached at the sides.

“Now we have the kama, it will protect your legs from shrapnel and debris.” 

He cocks his eyebrow, “What a fancy way of saying it’s just a skirt.” 

“But I’m sure you’ll look very pretty.”

“Don’t I always?” He offered.

She stops for a moment, the corners of her mouth curling, “Pretty? No. Handsome? Who’s to say.” 

She reaches around and secures the belt, clasping it tightly around his waist.

“Little tease,” he murmurs, earning a wink from Vix. 

She holds up two pieces of leather straps, “Next we have your thigh holsters.” 

Her nimble fingers gently snap the holster straps in place along the belt, and string them low across his hips and at his sides. One of her hands briefly touches the gap between his upper thigh and his codpiece, feeling her quick touch through his bodysuit, and a sharp breath escapes his lips. Vix peeks up at him from her bent over position and slowly straightens up to view him. 

He is close enough to see the various blue hues in her iris, smell the soap she uses that reminds him of sweets and baked goods; close enough to see how beautiful, strong, and dangerous she is. One of her small hands tentatively reaches for his torso while the other pulls out of the pile a triangular piece of plastoid.

“Your outer chest armor,” her voice softer and hushed. She brings the piece to his chest and presses it firmly against him, locking the inner and outer pieces together.

“Survival backpack”

She gently guides him to turn around and presses the heavy backpack into his backplate. He turns back around to face her, his heart quickening at seeing how close they are from one another.

“Pauldron” 

She slowly lowers the double-sided pauldron over his head, running her fingers around his shoulders and down the front of his chest before she turns back to his pile.

“Helmet” 

She steps even closer to him, pressing her body against his, and lifts the helmet over his head. He can feel her heartbeat frantically tap against his plastoid as he finds himself lean down closer to her face. He doesn’t know who moved next, but their lips lightly brushed before she separated quickly. They stared at each other for a moment before he grabbed her waist and brought her in again. 

This is what heaven must feel like. He had dreamt of this moment for the past year, day-dreaming about holding her close, imagining what she tasted like and if she felt the same way. She dropped his helmet aside and arched her back into his touch, deepening the kiss as her hands snaked around his neck. A low moan escaped her throat and immediately Fives is grateful that his codpiece is so tight against his groin.

“I found some extra rangefinders- wow, Fives! Look at you!” 

Both Fives and Vix jumped away from each other as Echo rejoined them, holding a variety of rangefinders and antennas in his hands.

Fives cleared his throat, trying to calm down his heart rate and quiet the ache that had grown in his groin, “Yeah, eh. Look at me.” 

“You look great, _vod_! Vix how does he look?” 

Vix could barely face either one of them, clearly she was having a hard time from being interrupted as he was, “He looks ready to take on the galaxy.”

“Let me get into my gear!” Echo quickly dressed in his new armor and both men placed their helmets on, posing for their Commander.

“Alright, what do you think?” Echo asked.

She crossed her arms and finally looked at them directly, “I think both of you are ready to become ARC troopers.” 


	11. Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving, I sure did!

It seemed so long ago, when she had stood on a similar balcony and scrutinized the Domino Squad as they struggled to even communicate with one another during the training exercise. Now, only the surviving members of the squad stood at the end of the complex, preparing to complete their ARC training. She could see both of them shifting nervously in their stark white ARC armor, the unfamiliar feel and weight adding to their discomfort of the situation. 

The Coruscant Guard arena they were in was substantially smaller and less intimidating than the one back on Kamino, but the tension in the room was palpable from both herself and the two clones below. She pressed the intercom button and spoke, her voice vibrating around the durasteel paneling in the complex.

“The objective is to collect the flag at the top of the spire, and return it to your starting position. It’s just like the Citadel Challenge, except it’s just the two of you and double the amount of droids. You can use any means necessary. You are in charge of your own actions during this simulation. But be warned, just like in a real battle the droid’s weapons will not be set to stun. Do you have any questions?” 

Both troopers stood at attention, “No sir.” 

“Y’all ready?” Her voice softened through the intercom static. 

There was a real threat of danger in this simulation. She had never lost one of her cadets during their final, but the risk was still there. She was praying to the Maker, the Force, Ashla, anyone who could possibly watch over and protect the two troopers as they pulled out their DC-15’s and readied themselves.

“Yes sir,” both called again.

She couldn’t help but smile. She was nervous for them, wanting them to succeed more than she had ever wanted her ARCs during this exercise, but she was confident her boys wouldn’t let her down, “Make me proud.” 

She moved her hand over to the computer console in front of her and started the simulation. Doors from either side of the distant spire opposite of the men opened, and a stream of B1s and super battle droids flooded towards barriers around the perimeter. Once they were positioned, they began spraying the two clones with endless blaster fire as Echo and Fives raced towards their position.

Vix gripped the handrail of the balcony, trying to settle the bile that rose in her throat as she watched blaster bolts fly past each of the trooper’s heads. But they were making good progress; within the first minute they had already eliminated half of the droids and were closing in on the spire’s position.

A B1 pounced out from a barrier wall onto Echo. He grabbed the droid by the head and neck and twisted, sending sparks flying as he tore the elongated head clean off and tossed it aside. He rejoined Fives who was engaged with the larger droid models as they hid behind a blaster shield. She watched them reload and mental calculated how much ammo they had left in their pouches and still untouched hand blasters on their hips.

They signaled each other to advance, shooting down the last remaining droids blocking the path to the spire. Fives began climbing the massive wall formations as his brother remained on the ground, weapon ready to aim and fire on any hidden droids. He grabbed the flag and hopped down from the tall structure, securing it around his belt before collecting his rifle he had left with his brother. 

They began walking back to their starting position, when the entrance to the stadium opened up, and five destroyers rolled towards them, blocking the finishing line. They unrolled and their blast shields crackled to life, before firing on the startled clones. Fives barely had time to react as a shot raced past his head. 

Vix squeezed tighter onto the balcony railing, holding her breath as she saw both her boys scramble to find cover from the new wave of droids. A silent conversation took place between the two troopers and Fives darted out from his position behind a large barrier, Echo offering cover fire as they both ran. Fives rolled their remaining charges under the droids, slow enough to pass through their shields and explode within their electric cocoons. One droid stood between them and the finishing line.

_They could do this. They had to do this._

Both clones ran towards the droid in scattered directions, the poor destroyer unable to focus on one target. With its attention briefly on Echo, Fives slid through the shield and rested underneath the massive droid, shoving the butt of his gun into its undercarriage and firing. The shield snapped off and the droid crumbled on the clone, smoke emitting around it. 

Vix leaned over the railing, desperate to see any sign of movement from Fives, praying that the weight of the droid hadn’t trapped him in the haze of smoke and sparking live wires. The dark smoke swirled and ash-dirtied armor arose, holding the flag high in the air. Both troopers grabbed either end of the flag and walked to the end of the arena, the simulation shutting down and the regular arena lights returning to their original state. 

They did it, they had officially finished their ARC training.

* * *

“Fives, Echo, you both are officially ARC troopers.” 

She had never seen the two clones more excited or on the verge of tears as they looked now. Vix clutched the box containing their medals by her side, and offered a crisp salute that was eagerly returned by the troopers.

Echo broke his salute and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “We couldn’t have done it without ya, Commander!” 

She huffed, “Please, I didn’t really do anything, it was all on y’all. You made the job easy.” 

It was the sincere truth. She had struggled in the past teaching the ARC and special ops class; trying to correct the mental abuse that had been drilled in their heads since they were decanted. Fives and Echo have been her dream, and dare she say favorite, troopers she has taught in the past year of her contract. 

Fives mirrored his brother and grabbed the other side of the Commander, “Thanks Vix. So what happens now?” 

“Well I figured we could go paint your new armor, now that you are official. And I also have to give y’all your graduation medals.” 

Fives scoffed, “Please Vix, you know I’m just gonna give my medal right back to ya! You should know that by now.” Vix couldn’t help the blush growing on her cheeks, or the warmth that stirred in her core from his comment. 

“I didn’t want to assume anything, but thank you. I’ll add them to my collection,” she whispered.

“Well, I’ll take mine. I don’t have a gorgeous Commander to ship mine off to like someone else I know,” Echo shot his brother a look.

Fives chuckled before letting go of her shoulder, “But after we finish the armor, we’re going out to celebrate!” 

“You guys can go, I should stay here and-”

Fives holds up his hand, cutting her off, “Nope, you deserve to celebrate all of your hard work too, and a drink or two wouldn’t kill ya!” 

She had never celebrated with any of her graduates, not even her fellow commanders. Would it be unprofessional to socialize with the clones? It’s not like she had been forced to write in the reg manuals anything prohibiting getting a drink with them.

She contemplated the offer, “I take it both of you won’t let me say no, huh?” She could almost see the telepathic conversation occurring between the two clones.

“That is correct, Commander,” Echo responded.

_I guess they leave me with no choice._

She sighed, “Okay I’ll join y’all. And I think now that you’ve graduated, you have earned the right to call me whatever you want; other than ‘Commander’.” 

Fives thought for a moment, “Alright...Vix’ika,” the nickname rolling off of his tongue with ease. Her knees weakened slightly and her heart definitely skipped a few beats; she was so indifferent to the little nickname she had been given, but hearing it come out of Fives? A whole other story.

Echo shrugged beside his brother, “Nah, I’ll stick with ‘Vix’.” 

Fives perked up and darted towards their nearby gear bag, pulling out something large before hiding the mystery item behind his back and out of her sight. “We also have a gift for you, as a show of our appreciation for everything you’ve done for us not just in the past two months, but the past year.” 

“You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” she insisted. Both troopers rolled their eyes as they came to face her.

“Will you just shut your eyes so you can get your gift?” Fives ordered. She shot him a begrudging look before complying. 

“Okay, you can open them.” 

When she opened her eyes, two large helmets were held in front of her, one offered in each clone’s hand. It took her a moment to figure out what she was seeing, before it clicked.

“You’re giving me your old helmets?”

Fives sheepishly stared at the floor, “We know that your ARCs used to live with you on Kamino and now that we are heading directly out to the front lines and leaving you all alone in the ‘big city’, we figured you needed something to remember us by.” 

She timidly pulled his old helmet out of his grasp and held it up to face her. The faded painting of the Rishi eel stared back, reminding her of how much things have changed since the moon outpost. Hells, even before that she reckons. 

“I...don’t know what to say. Thank you.” 

Both clones bow their heads, “You’re welcome, Vix,” Fives warmly says.

Echo hands her his old helmet and points down at his barren, now slightly dirty armor, “Now let’s go customize this new armor!” 

The rest of the day was a blur. 

All three of them sat in Corrie barracks and focused on cleaning the grime from the simulation off their new armor and painting the freshly-scrubbed plastoid pieces. Both troopers had agreed to keep their original designs for their new armor; Echo with his bloody hand print and Fives with his Rishi eel. Vix let them perfect the detailing on their helmets while she assisted painting the sides of their kamas and adding any extra splashes of color they wanted.

While the pieces dried, they sat on the bunks and talked for hours about anything and everything. In the past two months being together nonstop, they had developed a natural and comfortable ease with one another, one that she reluctantly remembered would be ripped away from her with their first deployment orders the next day. 

They eventually agreed to all meet up later that night at 79’s, a clone bar that Vix had often heard discussed about in training rooms and barracks, but never had the opportunity to visit herself. They parted ways and she headed back home to freshen up a bit before meeting up with them later. 

As she entered her apartment and headed to her closet, she suddenly realized how little civilian clothes she owned and pulled her sparse items off their hangars and laid them on her mattress. Most of her wardrobe consisted of duplicate black shirts and pants, similar to the set she currently wore underneath her armor. She made a mental note to indulge for once and buy something she intended to wear _not_ for work, but then she realized how peculiar that thought was. 

Why _was_ she so concerned about her attire all of a sudden? She had spent the past 24 years of her life focusing on survival and work and training, never once had her opinion in fabric or detailing caused such anxiety in her.

_Maybe it’s because you want Fives to see you in something different._

She forcibly shook her head, trying to rid the intrusive thought but found it pointless. It was right; it _was_ because of Fives. There was some desire to impress, to present herself as powerful and daring. Maybe to present herself as...attractive? 

That was a foreign concept of its own, one that as she stared down at the pile of clothing, was proving to be quite frustrating for her.

She decided there was no use in worrying about it when she had no other option, electing to take a brief shower and dress in new pants and a long sleeve shirt, opting to go armorless. 

Cleaning up the scattered clothing and plastoid, and returning her apartment to its spotless state, she grabbed the keys to her speeder and headed out towards the infamous clone bar.

When she parked on the space outside the bar, Fives and Echo were already waiting for her, now sporting their newly-minted ARC armor. At her approach, they turned to acknowledge her and both held their arms out in display of their new looks.

“So...what do you think?” Echo cooed.

What she thought and what she could say were two completely different things. What she wanted to say was that Echo looked great, but Fives… 

The armor made him look even bulkier than before, the double-sided pauldron and striped kama on his waist created an hourglass shape that made him look strong and intimidating. She gulped heavily as her eyes trailed up and down his armor and swam around the new helmet cradled at his side.

Of course, she instead offered, “You both look great! The paint job turned out perfect.”

Both troopers seemed satisfied enough with her partial truth as they all headed towards the entrance of the bar. 

Clones dressed in a rainbow of battalion colors and grey uniforms poured out of the doorway, and the sound of a strong beat drifted through as the door slid open at their approach. Dimmed lights shrouded the large space in a relaxing hue, as overhead screens projected various holonet stories and footage of sporting events taking place across the galaxy. There were some civilians milling about the space, mostly female based on her initial observation, but for the most part the place was crowded with troopers.

She turned to face her men, “So this is the GAR-famous 79’s, eh?” 

Echo mockingly waved a hand out towards the sea of identical faces, “Welcome to trooper paradise, Commander.” 

They spotted an empty booth nearby and headed towards it, trying to ignore the gawking and hushed conversations from clones around them as Vix walked by. She knew her appearance would certainly turn some heads, but she almost finds herself enjoying the mass attention. 

A high-ranking GAR Commander flanked by two of her special operative ARC troopers? 

She could get used to this sense of strength and pride that swelled within her with every lingering gaze.

Vix and Echo shifted into the worn leather seats of the booth, with Fives standing at the front of the table, “Alright, I’ll go get the drinks. What do you guys want? Echo, your usual juice box?” 

Echo playfully slapped his brother’s shoulder, “Shut up, you _di’kut_. I’ll take an ale, an _alcoholic_ one,” he pridefully added. 

She remembers the first, and only, time she had seen Echo drunk back on the Resolute two months prior. He was 100% a lightweight if she ever knew one.

“Sure thing, _vod_. Vix, same thing?” Fives asked her.

She offers a nod and the clone disappears into the crowd towards the bar. Echo from the other side of the table clears his throat, snapping her attention from Fives’ backside to face him.

“So... what’s gonna happen now that training is over?” He carefully asked.

“Well tomorrow I’ll place y’all back on active duty and you’ll be deployed wherever you’re needed. Rex will probably request to have you rejoin the 501st for a little while, but you’ll both be out on missions.” 

He leaned closer over the table, beckoning her to do the same, “Vix, I would say you and I are really close, yeah?”

“Yeah of course, Echo.” 

He nodded slightly to himself, “So you don’t have to lie, you knew exactly what I meant.” 

She was taken back by the accusation, her head swimming with differing interpretations for his statement. “No?” 

“Come on, I’m not blind! Clearly something is going on between you and Fives, even if both of you are too stubborn to admit it!” 

Immediately she could feel her heart quicken and her mind start to construct a lie to cover for her feelings towards Fives.

She slumped back in her chair, “Echo, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

He held his gaze for a moment before slowly reclining back in his seat, “I saw both of you yesterday, in the armory.” 

The blood drained from her cheeks, “You did?”

He threw an arm over the top of the cushion and scoffed, “Yeah, which honestly it took you both long enough! Shocked it didn’t happen sooner. Fives has had a crush on you since we were on Rishi and both of you have been attached at the hip since the Battle of Kamino.” He seemed so casual in his response, so matter-of-fact and clearly confident in his assessment of her emotions. Maybe she had trained him a little _too_ well.

“Why are you telling me this?” 

He stared at her blankly, once again seeming unphased by the question, “Because I think both of you are too afraid to admit that whatever you have is good. Especially when we are surrounded by so much loss and misery. Because I think if any trooper in the entire GAR deserves the chance at happiness, it’s Fives. And I think if any person in the entire galaxy deserves to feel loved, it’s you.” 

Echo was reading her as clearly as one of his well-loved reg manuals. He had carefully laid out everything she desperately wanted but was too afraid to admit, or feel worthy of having. 

Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to hold in tears, “Thank you, Echo. I will...take this into consideration.” 

“Glad I could be of assistance to you in this ‘trying’ matter,” he shot a smug smile.

Fives returned to the table, cradling three glasses filled to the brim with amber liquid. He settled the drinks in front of their owners and squeezed into the booth next to her.

“Sorry that took so long, here ya go. So what are we drinking to, Vix?” 

She saw Echo shoot her a knowing glance, coaxing her to take his advice given moments prior.

“To taking chances.” 

“To taking chances, _K’oyacyi_!”

A few drinks later, and she was finally beginning to relax with the two men by her side. Echo had spotted some of their old 501st friends and had elected to join their group on the other side of the bar, but Fives insisted on staying with Vix. The fact that the trooper wanted to actually stay and talk with her, instead of catching up with his brothers, spoke volumes to her. As they continued drinking, the music blaring in the bar shifted from the fast-tempoed beat to one with a sultry rhythm. 

Fives finished the last of his ale and shifted out of the booth, “Do you want to dance, Commander?” 

“I don’t know how to, actually,” she shyly admitted.

“What? Come on, if you can move the way you do in fights, you can definitely dance a little. Besides it’s a slow song, I’ll show ya what to do.” 

Before she could respond, he grabbed both of her hands and dragged her out to the center of the dance floor, surrounding them in the couples that swayed close to one another. He tentatively grabbed both of her hands and guided them to latch around his neck, before both of his large hands snaked around her waist and pulled her close. Usually contact and closeness would send every alarm off in her mind to retreat, but it felt so right to be with him, so good. Trying to summon her composure back, she looked up at him as they started moving to the music. 

Fives held her gaze briefly before looking away, “I’m sorry about yesterday, ya know...The kiss?” 

She relaxed slightly, “Why are you sorry? I kissed you back.” 

“I know, I just should have asked. It’s not every day I go around kissing all the pretty commanders,” he grinned.

“I appreciate that. If I’m being honest, I’d actually never been kissed before.”

Fives briefly stopped dancing and pushed her away slightly, “Really? Someone as amazing and smart and strong as you hasn’t been kissed before?” Her cheeks burned at the compliment and it felt like her skin was becoming unbearably hot right where his hands gripped her waist.

“Well I didn’t have much time on my hands for relationships living on the streets and doing shit jobs for food. Besides, I know for a fact you haven’t kissed anyone either!” 

“Who told you that?” He defensively cried.

“No one, but you being defensive confirmed it.” 

He pulled her back towards him, letting her hands shift back to his neck and tease the curly nape of his neck with her fingertips as they resumed their dance. 

“Sneaky, Commander. Well, maybe I was saving it for someone real special.” 

She pressed her head into his chest, even through the thick plastoid separating them she could feel the heat radiating from him, smell his warm musk and the tang of ale on him.

“I want you to know I’m so proud of you. Both of you,” her voice barely registered over the boom of the music and the nearby conversations circling them.

One of his hands left her side and cradled the back of her head, pulling her closer to him as they continued holding one another. 

He sighed, “Thank you, Vix. I can’t speak for Echo but…I really liked spending this time with you.” 

“Me too. Promise me you will keep each other safe, please?” 

He shifted his hand to cup her chin and bring her face up towards him. Concern and curiosity laced his eyes, “Why does this sound like something is gonna happen to us?” 

“Because something could. This war is getting more violent every day and there’s no end in sight. I can’t lose y’all. I can’t lose you.” 

“Why?” 

They both stopped moving, the music and the dancing around them paying no mind to their private conversation. She didn’t even care if the whole world was listening in; she couldn’t pretend to anymore.

“You know why.”

It took him a moment, hope and conflict raced across his face as he studied her. She held her ground, trying to remain strong and not crumble into his arms, never to leave again.

“And you...feel the same way?” He sounded so stunned, so scared, so quiet. All things she never associated with Fives. She unlatched from his neck, bringing her hands to rest on either side of his pauldron.

“I do, but I don’t think we have the luxury to fully admit it. If we both expressed our true feelings and then something happened...I don’t know what I would do.” 

It was more morbid than she intended, but it was the truth.

She isn’t entirely sure what love is, if it’s what she feels for the man holding her. But if it is and something happened to either one of them, it might push her over the edge. 

The loss of her Rancors was still fresh even after the two months since Kamino, and just finding the strength to comm Blitz and see how things were going for the new Master Chief was easier said than done. So if she felt this way about losing her ARCs, what would it be like if she lost Fives? She didn’t want to think about that, and clearly neither did the trooper in front of her as he let out a deep breath.

“I...understand. I promise I’ll keep Echo safe, and I know he’ll do the same for me. You won’t lose either of us, Vix’ika.” 

Fives went to pull her back into his embrace as the song faded into another, slow beat when she suddenly had a dangerous thought. It was against not only the reg manuals, but Galactic Republic law. But in this moment she didn’t care, she was taking a leap of faith by even asking. At this point, what else did she have to lose?

“Fives?” She reached to hold his hands in hers, holding them firmly in front of her.

“Yeah?” 

_Here goes that leap of faith._

“What if... we just had tonight? A chance to forget about the war, forget about regulations or any crap that might tear us apart, and just be us? Vix and Fives. Would you want that?” 

Before she could even finish, Fives brought their hands up to his face and placed a light peck on the insides of her wrists. “Yes, more than anything.” 

A smile grew on her face and Fives relaxed with a shaky breath, his eyes sparkling down at her from the mood lighting of the dance floor. 

“I’ll go make up an excuse to tell Echo,” he offers.

Vix grabs his arm to stop him from leaving, “No need, he kind of already gave me his blessing.” From across the packed bar, through crowds of clones and civilians, they both spot Echo watching them from a distant group of 501st boys. Even through the haze of strobe lights and the tops of helmets, the smug grin that grew across the clone’s face was indicative enough for her to know that their secret would be safe with the ARC. 

They both gave Echo a nod in acknowledgement, before the distant clone turned back towards the 501st group. 

Fives tugged her hand gently, “Then let’s go.” 

* * *

The moment they enter the hallway towards her apartment, all of the confidence and swagger that both of them carry on a daily basis snaps out of existence. 

This is uncharted territory; from here on out, everything is about to change and Maker is she terrified. They approach her door but neither reaches to input the unlock code. They both know what will happen as soon as they walk through the doorway, but it remains unclear who will make the first move.

Finally Vix summons what little courage she has left, “I’ve never done this before.” 

Fives lets out a sigh of relief and his body completely relaxes from his tensed position beside her, “Neither have I. Are you sure you want to still do this?” 

“Yes. Do you?” 

He responds before she can even finish, “Absolutely. And we’ll just figure this out together, yeah?” 

They both take a deep breath before she reaches to grab his hand, entwining their fingers through the thick material of his gloves. His pulse is frantically beating against their wrists, adding to the rapid increase in hers, but she squeezes his hand in reassurance.

“Together.” 

With her free hand, she inputs the quick door code and guides him into the darkened apartment. Fives suddenly tenses up again, “Wait, do we need protection or some-” 

“I have an implant. Every female in the GAR is required to get one.” 

“Oh okay, good.” 

Silence falls between them as they stand in the foyer, the neon of the outside bars and shops flashing in the darkened room. 

With both of their complete inexperience, she has no clue how to initiate any sexual contact. She has read enough biology books and watched enough romance holos to get a sense of the next steps, and she knows for a fact that the Kaminoans give a sex talk to the clones during their lessons on biology. But now the headstrong Commander and the stubborn ARC trooper are fish out of water, and clearly their nerves are starting to get the better of them.

Fives pulls his hand out of her grip and slips it around her waist, taking the other hand to cup her cheek. Her hands find their way to his chest and the two stand embraced for a moment, the tension building as they grow closer and closer. Finally a breath away from each other, they both summon the last of their courage and kiss.

It was light, quick, the hair on his chin tickling her face, but enough for Vix to know that this was right. Being with Fives, kissing him and holding him. It was always meant to be like this.

Their lips met again, but this time the barriers crack under the pressure and the desire becomes too much to withhold. 

Her hands reach behind his neck to grip the nape of his neck, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss. Barely taking pauses for breaths, Fives quickly starts to strip himself of his armor, dropping it haphazardly across the apartment floor as they walk further into the room. Vix reached down to grab the hem of her shirt, but was stopped by Fives’ still gloved hands.

“Don’t. I want to take that off ya,” he hoarsely whispered, trying to catch his breath as they stood in the middle of the living room.

“Bedroom,” she pointed towards her door before continuing to move her lips down his mouth towards his jawline. A long arm snaked around her waist and pulled her up to face him. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist and her hands cupped either side of his head, tilting his head upwards to nibble at the pulse point on his neck. 

He walked both of them into the bedroom and gently laid her down at the foot of the bed. Even in the darkened room, she could see that Fives had stripped all the way down to his black bodyglove as he stood in front of her. He knelt down to face her and his fingertips gingerly teased the bottom hem of her shirt. Lifting the shirt up, the warmth of his hands burned at her sides as they eased up her torso and over her arms, pulling the shirt off and tossing it aside. His eyes flicked across her body, studying her scars, the curves of her muscles and breast, memorizing every inch of her skin in his mind. 

In another fluid motion, he pulled her boots and pants off and hovered over her, unsure of what to do next. Vix stood up to meet him, and slowly reached behind to undo the clasp of her bra and slid the straps off, letting the garment fall to the floor.

If Fives’ pupils weren’t blown already they definitely were now, as he scanned up and down her body. The silence and focus from him made her anxious.

“ _Meshla_ ,” his large hand reaching up to trace an invisible line across her collarbones and down to her breasts. 

Her skin is prickled with goosebumps as he cups her breast and runs his thumb over her nipple, her breath hitching at the touch. Fives seems intrigued by her reaction and remains still for a moment before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss against her breast. Vix moans as she melts into his touch and drags them back against the bed, his mouth roaming across her chest and down her stomach until he reaches the top of her underwear.

His eyes flick up to her, waiting for further instructions.

“Please, touch me.”

Her whimper was enough to key the soldier into his next assignment, as he quickly peeled off the top of his blacks and kicked the bottom half off his legs, leaving him only in his grey underwear. He hooks a finger on either side of her underwear and slowly pulls it down, never looking away from her as slips them off her legs.

“You are the most stunning creature I have ever seen,” his tone gruff and breathless as he leans over her, just inches from her face.

One of her hands reaches up to chase the ripples of his abdomen, traveling to the base of his hips. His breath quickens as her fingertips tease the waistband of his briefs.

“You ain’t so bad yourself,” she purrs as she surges up to capture his lips once again.

Her hand reaches to feel his already hardened cock straining to be released from its fabric confinement. At her touch, Fives’ breath hitches and she pulls away.

“Sorry, it feels good. Maybe _too_ good, and I don’t want this moment to end just yet. Not until I’ve taken care of you.” 

Before she can protest, he pushes her further up the mattress towards the pillows as her startled shriek erupts in soft giggles. Fives joins in on the laughter momentarily as their lips meet once more, before he slowly leaves a trail of kisses down her abdomen.

“Ya know, this reminds me of a dream I’ve had about you,” she pants, each kiss searing her flesh.

“Oh really? Same here.”

His hands roam down her sides as he situates himself between her legs, one hand curling around her thigh and another stroking tentatively at her folds. 

Even with his inexperience, Fives was clearly a fast learner as he circled her clit with enough speed and enough pressure that the noises coming from her mouth were obscene. Her dreams only held a fraction of what this pleasure could feel like, as her wet folds were teased by fingers made of fire and ice. 

He kissed up and down her inner thighs and worked his way up to her mound. The feel of his hot, ragged breath made her core throb and her heart nearly pound out of her chest. The moment his tongue licked her sensitive clit, she could have sworn she had become one with the Force. 

Her body began moving on its own accord, as her hips slanted upwards to push his face deeper in between her legs. Controlling her thoughts, her breathing, let alone her body was impossible as her muscles tightened and her back arched off of the mattress. 

Fives experimentally sucked on her clit and she knew she was a goner. She can somewhat comprehend her babbling as waves of electricity shot through her entire body, but she doesn’t care; riding the flow of pleasure that courses through her very veins. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and only a fragment of pleasure she had experienced in her dreams with Fives. But one thing she knew for sure; she liked it _a lot_.

Fives crawls up to face her, eyes wild with hunger and lips swollen, but the look of pride on his face is enough to elicit a tired giggle from her. Their lips capture again and she can taste herself on his tongue as she pulls him in deeper, the salty sweetness filling her senses.

They break apart briefly, “Tell me, was that alright?” He whispers in between pecks.

“I guess I should thank Jango and the Maker for giving you such a talented mouth, because saying you didn’t know what you were doing was a big ol’ lie,” she sighs into his mouth. 

“That’s high praise. I’ll keep working on my technique, _Commander_.”

With one last kiss, he tears himself away from her and the bed, standing over her as the last of the electricity leaves her body.

He slips his underwear down his hips, freeing his erection before tossing the garment aside. Fully naked, she can’t help but study every nook and cranny of his body. He was absolutely stunning. 

She had seen naked men before in holo-romances or dirty magazines, even from a few dumb, drunk bastards who picked the wrong girl to flash. But his body was exquisite in comparison to everything she had seen before. Like her, his body was traced with battle scars and muscles covered every inch of exposed flesh; accented by the moon-kissed glow of his caramel skin. And she didn’t need a lot of experience to see that Fives was gifted. _Very_ gifted.

“You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen.”

He drapes himself over her, with one hand coming to cradle her head, “you ain’t so bad yourself,” returning her witty remark.

He suddenly turns stone-faced looking down at her, “Vix, if I hurt ya-”

“You won’t hurt me. I want this, I want you. Nothing you do right now could change that, alright?”

He nods slightly, “Okay, but still. If I do something wrong or you change your mind, we stop. Deal?”

She nods in agreement before grabbing his chin and bringing him into a deep kiss. He positions himself at her entrance and his aching cock glides against her slickness, a deep groan escaping his lips.

He began guiding himself in, stretching her tight walls slowly and with patience, giving Vix time to calm her quickening heart and let the bizarre discomfort dissipate until he was fully buried inside of her.

Fives stilled himself over her, squeezing his eyes shut as his breath ran ragged by her ear. She could almost hear how loud his thoughts were, the mixture of pleasure, uncertainty, and discipline circling about as both of them reveled in this moment.

His hips moved slowly, learning with each thrust what felt good for both of them, as he tried to concentrate enough to find a rhythm. She knew he wasn’t going to last long, but neither was she, having started to feel her core re-tighten with each movement inside her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him even closer, his cock hitting a spot inside her that made her moan with each thrust. 

Fives quickened his pace, grunting into her ear and gripping hard on her hips, “Vix, I don’t think I can-”

“Me neither.”

With one last pump she felt whatever was tightening in her snap, her hips grinding against his as electricity coursed through her limbs. The combined cries of ecstasy coming from both of them had to have been heard even through the extra reinforced walls of the former safehouse, but she could care less. 

Fives laid on top of her until he pulled his now-softened cock out of her, rolling by her side. His rough panting matched hers as they slowly recovered in the bed, the distant sounds of Coruscant echoing from the windows.

She knew she should get up and clean herself, but sleep tugged at her eyes and the allure of the warm body beside her was too much to get her out of bed. Fives drags a large arm across her waist and pulls her tightly against his chest, his warm and scent overwhelming her senses and lulling her to sleep.

The aftermath of tonight can be dealt with in the morning, all she cared about in this moment was being cradled in Fives’ arms as sleep welcomed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are gonna be so mad at me in the next couple of chapters but I have accepted my fate.


	12. Fallout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of the Bad Batch teaser today, I felt like it was appropriate to release this chapter a day early!

The rays of early dawn filter into the bedroom, slowly coaxing Vix to open her heavy eyes. She stretches her limbs in the sheets and a faint tug pulls deep within her core. Curiosity peaks as she tries to remember the source of the pain, before her memory of the night prior slowly makes its way back into her semi-conscious mind.

_Fives._

The side of the bed he had stayed on was unoccupied and cold, the blanket long tossed aside from his disappearance. 

A noise from the kitchen made her jump out of bed as she quickly pulled on the robe hanging behind the bedroom door. Grabbing a pistol from her nightstand, she could feel her adrenaline building; waiting to hear more outside to better assess the intruder in her living space. Muffled padding of footsteps and shuffling echoed from her kitchen, and the air filled with the spicy tang of freshly-brewed caf. 

She slowly opened the door and peered out to see a large figure dressed in a full black bodysuit.

“Good morning,” relaxing at the sight of the trooper.

Fives turned to face her as she joined him at the kitchen counter, curiously eyeing the blaster in her hand. “Mornin’, I made you some caf. I hope that’s alright,” he holds a mug out to her, steam rising from the already mixed concoction.

“Yeah, of course.” 

Taking the mug from his hand, she shuffles to the adjacent living room and slips into one of the cushioned chairs; placing the pistol on the nearby side table. Fives follows behind her, holding his own half-drunk cup while he sits across from her.

“I made it just how you like, super strong and super sweet.” 

She takes a sip, and she has to admit, it’s probably the best cup of caf she’s ever had. But she isn’t entirely sure if it’s because the ingredient proportions are perfect or simply because Fives made it.

“Thank you.”

Silence drew out between them as they both sat stock-still in the cozy seats, stealing small sips of their caf periodically.

Fives clears his throat and places his cup on the side table, “So... I think we should discuss _it_. Last night.” 

“Okay...yeah we can do that,” she sets her cup down and brings her legs up to the cushion, curling up in the fluffy fabric of her robe.

“Vix, I-”

A pounding knock from the front door interrupts him. Both are on their feet, adrenaline rushing back into her system as she grabs the pistol and holds it close to her chest. Fives finds one of his blasters that was haphazardly tossed aside the night before and crouches behind the couch, while Vix looks through the door’s peephole. Commander Fox and two Coruscant guards stand rigidly out in the hallway.

“It’s Commander Fox!” she nervously whispers.

His eyes grow wide, “Do you think they are here for us?”

She knew there was a possibility that if the exploits of their ‘relationship’ were discovered, they would both be court-martialed; her being imprisoned, but Fives most likely facing decommission. She had heard rumors while on Kamino about the true extent ‘decommissioning’ meant for the clones, but never had a Kaminoan doctor confirm her suspicions.

“I don’t think so. Knowing Fox, he would have busted the door down by now if this was an arrest. Just go hide, I’ll deal with him.”

Fives scurried off to the bedroom just as she unlocked the door and slid it open to greet the clones, now hiding the gun behind her back.

“Good morning, Fox. It’s pretty early for a visit, isn’t it?” 

Fox and the two troopers saluted, “You two, stand guard out here.”

He pushes past Vix into the apartment, standing in the foyer and scanning the open living room area. His wandering gaze lands on the two cups sitting carelessly on the side table.

_Kriffing hell, he is gonna figure out someone else is here._

She clears her throat to grab his attention, turning to face her, “Sorry to disturb you this early in the morning, Commander Phera. But the Supreme Chancellor has requested your presence in his office immediately.”

“The Chancellor? Is everything alright?”

“He assured me that everything is fine, but there is an urgent matter he must discuss with you.”

“Okay, let me get dressed and then I’ll meet y’all down at the speeder,” she tentatively offers. 

Fox scans her briefly, and turns his helmeted head away from her.

“My apologies, Commander. I didn’t realize you were in this state of _undress_.”

She eyed her hastily tied robe, bringing the sides closer together to hide more of her exposed skin, “Um, don’t worry about it. Just go hang by the speeder and I’ll be down there in a moment, okay?” 

If there wasn’t a half-dressed clone hiding somewhere in her bedroom and she wasn’t a partially naked commanding officer for the three clones in front of her, she wouldn’t be so pushy and so cold. Especially when the clone commander before her was the GAR officer closest to the Supreme Chancellor himself. But she needed to get Fox out of her apartment before he caught any more signs of her scandalous escapades.

Fox lumbered out of the apartment door with the two guards trailing him, leaving Vix alone in the doorway.

Her mind was racing, trying to piece together a plan to keep Fox, and hopefully the Supreme Chancellor, in the dark about Fives and her. She hurried into her bedroom and began pulling clean clothes and her armor out of her closet, before retreating to the bathroom to change at lightning speed.

When she walked back out, Fives was dressed from the waist down in his ARC armor, absent-mindedly collecting the plastoid pieces as he stared off in deep thought.

“So, what are we gonna do?”

What she wanted to do and what she needed to do were two separate things. But they had agreed that the night before would only be a one time thing, nothing more. She thought sleeping with Fives would quiet some of the feelings she had for him; it hadn’t worked.

She let out a long sigh, “Right now, the only thing we can do is pretend like nothing _has_ happened. Wait a few minutes after I leave and head back to the barracks before anyone realizes you’re missing. I’ll comm you and Echo after I leave Palpatine’s office with your first ARC assignment. Okay?”

“Alright, I guess,” his voice sounded disappointed. 

She could feel the longing dancing on the tip of his tongue, struggling to keep his emotions in check. A part of her desperately wanted him to break his promise, and confess his love right then and there. But Fives was an honorable man, and wouldn’t break the agreement they had made on the strobe-lit dancefloor of 79’s.

Collecting her blasters, she couldn’t even look at the trooper as she rushed out of her apartment to meet Fox at his speeder. 

* * *

The red walls and velvet floors of the Supreme Chancellor’s office glowed from the rays of Coruscant Prime hanging on the horizon. Hushed voices echoed from the end of the hallway, as she paced herself towards the Chancellor’s desk.

Palpatine sat in his dark, throne-like chair dressed in his lavish robes, while a blue holo form stood across from him. The Chancellor noticed her arrival and waved her over, alerting the blue figure of the new presence. As she closed in on the holo’s readout, the figure turned to face her; the experimental helmet and gaudy armor being extremely familiar to her.

“Hello Commander, it’s been a while,” Blitz greeted.

The utter shock and confusion of the meeting and Blitz’s appearance stopped her from approaching the desk, her eyes scanning the full-sized body that stood in front of her.

“Blitz! How are you? What are you doing here?” She almost reached out to touch his arm, realizing how much she wished he could be with her now.

Palpatine and Blitz eyed one another, before the trooper carefully continued, “A _situation_ on Kamino has arisen that I believe requires your assistance. Nala Se has recently informed myself and General Ti of a secret experimental group the Kaminoans have been working on.” 

Vix settled into one of the guest chairs, “What? Who authorized them to perform experiments without our direct consent?” 

“According to her, the experiments began at the same time as the army commissioning and have only been recently deemed suitable for active duty, hence them just now revealing their existence.” 

She had known that the Kaminoans had continued to experiment with the Jango Fett genes even after her arrival on Tipoca, trying to stretch their source material to its limits now that the original donor was six feet under. But those experiments were focused on duplication of their DNA, not anything that might raise moral alarm to the Jedi or the Senate.

“What kind of experiments were they conducting?” 

Even with his helmet on she could tell Blitz was uneasy, shifting slightly and trying not to meet the direct line of sight with the Chancellor, who still lounged in his chair listening to the report.

He continued, “They have created clones with ‘desirable’ mutations to act as a special operations squad.” 

Palpatine leaned on his elbows, his ghostly white hands clasped in front of him, “It is my belief, given your expertise as a special operations Commander, that you may act as a handler for this unit. They are too independent and unpredictable to be assigned to a specific battalion, but still need someone to assign them missions and organize their movements. This is the only option I see fit. You are more than allowed to refuse the offer, but that will result in the immediate termination of these troopers.” 

She shot up from her chair, “No! Of course I accept. Are they currently on Kamino?” 

“They were, but are currently heading towards Coruscant for you to decide the best course of action for the group. I figured you would accept the job anyways,” she could feel the wink Blitz shot her way as she sat back down.

“I hope this unit brings many victories for the Republic, Commander. I look forward to hearing how they perform out in the field,” Palpatine praised.

“Thank you, Supreme Chancellor for this opportunity.” 

“No, thank _you_ for your dedication to the Republic. And thank you Master Chief for bringing this to my attention.” 

Blitz saluted to the Chancellor and the Commander, “Of course, sir. Vix, good luck with them.” Something about that last part made her nervous, what exactly was she getting herself into? Blitz hadn’t offered any files or information on the group, and made it seem like they aren’t as controlled or level-headed as the average trooper. 

The blue image snapped off, the Chancellor sitting patiently in the quiet office as he watched her. After a moment, Palpatine shifted in his throne, “My dear, you seemed troubled. Tell me what’s on your mind.” 

The anger and anxiety over the situation began bubbling up in her throat, “I have never trusted the scientists on Kamino. The way they treat the clones like objects is disgusting. And now, they reveal they went behind our backs and have been experimenting on them the entire time!” 

“It is frustrating, I know. But with the existence of the army having been kept a secret long before it was revealed to the Republic, there isn’t much we can do now.” 

She shot up from her chair again, leaning over the table towards him, “But I was there in Tipoca City! I was the Master Chief for hells sake! Shouldn’t this have been something I would have known about? Maybe something that I could have done to help those men?” 

Palpatine stood up and walked over to the large window circling his office, coaxing her to join him, “Vixus, your hunger for loyalty and justice is so refreshing for a politician my age to see. It is part of the reason I have taken a keen interest in your career as of late.” 

“You have?” 

“Indeed, I have been reading your reports and following the progress of your troopers. And I dare say, I’m quite impressed with what I have seen. The clones under your tutelage have some of the highest success rates in the army, and from what Commander Fox has told me, their loyalty to you is absolute.” 

She turned to face the Chancellor as he continued studying the various ships and aircraft flying outside, “Thank you, sir. I don’t know what Fox has mentioned of me, but I assure you it’s probably greatly exaggerated.” 

He turned to face her and reached out to hold her hands in his. There was something comforting and yet startling about his icy grip, as a sudden calm washed over her.

“Come now, my child. It is plain to see with any clone that you have trained, not just Commander Fox, that they trust you whole-heartedly and without question. That is why I am so interested in you. This war is wreaking havoc on the galaxy and continues with no clear end in sight. What the Republic needs to win this war is someone who inspires the troopers, someone they will go any length to please.”

“I simply remind them that they’re men, not machines. I don’t know how other commanders or generals act, but I can only assume there are... mixed feelings about the clones.” 

Palpatine scoffed playfully at her remark, “You are quite right about that, especially with the Jedi. So think of training this new group of clones as a step forward for independent thinking. Maybe one day, the Jedi will no longer be a necessary part of this war.” 

An army without the Jedi would be a startling change of pace for the clones, having spent their entire lives preparing to serve an order of sorcerers they had never encountered before until Geonosis. But if the clones could learn to become self-efficient and lead the Republic to victory, it could mean that the Senate might reward them for their military service and treat them like real men after the war. They could be free, free to do whatever they wanted and no longer be used as weapons. She selfishly wanted that for her men, especially for Fives.

“Wouldn’t that be something?” She hopefully pondered, wanting to ask Fox and his brothers for their opinion.

Palpatine returned his gaze to the bustling city below, a small smile forming on his face, “Indeed, wouldn’t it...” 

Her meeting with Chancellor Palpatine had been enlightening. 

If she was successful in her job, she could eventually help all clone troopers gain independence in both the Grand Army of the Republic, and hopefully, the Republic after the war ended. This revelation made it easier for her to submit Fives and Echo for active duty, immediately finding a request from Commander Cody to have the two ARCs join the 212th for their continued dealings in the Outer Rim. She commed her new ARCs and requested them to meet her in the GAR shipyards for immediate orders, where she could also wait for the arrival of her new mystery squad.

Fox had offered to escort her the rest of the day, which Vix was all too happy to accept. It was nice to catch up with him, discussing the rebuild efforts from the Zillo Beast attacks months prior, which all fell on the shoulders of the poor Marshal Commander. The responsibilities the Chancellor had gifted Fox were startling; this man really held Galactic City in the palm of his hand. 

As he spoke about rebuilding efforts, issues with the prison, and recent drug trafficking rings he had stopped, she couldn’t help feel proud of the man he had become. 

Long ago on Kamino during the command batch training, Fox had been a stickler for the rules and the big-brother to the rest of his batch. It took Vix a little extra help to soften his hardened shell and make him more agreeable, but once she got through, Fox had latched on with full dedication and loyalty.

Now as they exited the speeder to meet up with Fives and Echo, she can see how confident and awe-inspiring his strut and posture exude; no wonder he was so feared and revered by the GAR. 

Echo gave Vix a knowing glance as he saluted her, probably still very proud of his matchmaking skills the night before. Fives on the other hand, looked absolutely defeated. He couldn’t even look her in the eyes as he saluted the two commanders and stood with his hands tucked behind his back.

“Good morning boys, you’re being sent to the Outer Rim with the 212th. They are dealing with heavy Separatist interference in vital neutral systems.” 

Echo jostled his brother, “Seems easy enough, nothing we can’t handle.” 

“I know, just...be careful,” her tone softening.

“We will, our instructor did a pretty good job preparing us for this,” Echo joked.

“If you’re ever back on Coruscant, you know where to find me.”

“Of course. Take care of yourself, Vix,” Echo offered his hand out to her and she gave it a firm shake, smiling up at her friend.

“You too, Echo. Goodbye Fives.” 

Fives held out his hand and gave hers a firm shake, fingers lingering in her touch, “Good bye, Vix’ika.” He pulled his hand away quickly and grabbed his gear, practically racing towards their transport with Echo slowly trailing him.

She knew this day was coming, hell she had already said goodbye to him so many times before. But now it was different. 

There was clearly _something_ between them, unspoken feelings hanging over them that even a night of casual sex couldn’t shake. Now watching Fives walk into the transport and fly away from her, it dawned on her why this time hurt her so much.

The last time she had been hurt this badly was watching her father’s craft disappear into the Umbaran mists, leaving her stranded in the Capital City and abandoned by the one person who was supposed to love her. This time, she was watching the man she loved with every fiber of her soul be shipped off to a war that he had no say in, one that threatened to kill him every second he fought in it. If he ever returned to her, she would break the promise they had made and tell him the truth; she loved him.

* * *

“This must be their transport,” Fox pointed towards a smaller cruiser docking at the edge of the tarmac. 

The main ramp lowered and a grey-dressed trooper exits, followed closely by four men in red fatigues. Even from a distance, she couldn’t see a single thing the four men had in common, barely the hint of Jango’s features on each one of their faces. The grey-dressed clone approached the two commanders and offered a salute, before shifting into a tensed position.

“Commander Phera, forgive our late arrival. We had some unforeseen...complications.”

She blinked, “Complications?”

The four clones huddled closely, their gaze flicking between Vix, Fox, their escort, and the entire shipyard, almost like they were looking for an escape route. She waved the escort away, cautiously approaching the clustered group as they eyed her with suspicion. 

_I don’t know what Nala Se has done to these poor boys, but clearly they have been through something._

She slowly stepped towards them, trying to not make any sudden movement that might startle them like scared loth-cats. She raised her hands in surrender, “I’m Commander Vixus Phera, but you can call me Vix. What are your names?”

The four men stole each other confused looks, as if they were having a conversation Vix wasn’t privy to, before one of them stepped forward.

“My designation is RC-01, and this is RC-03, RC-06, and RC-19,” pointing to each one of his brothers.

“Do you have names?”

The question seemed to spook them, and the three still clustered together whispered among themselves.  
Oh-One shook his head, “Nala Se believed it would be more efficient to refer to us by our designation numbers. But we will answer to anything you call us, Commander.”

Fox took a step towards Vix, and Oh-One suddenly grabbed the blaster out of her holster and held it steadily towards the clone commander. He held the pistol in a firm two-handed grip aimed dead center of Fox’s chest, while his three brothers jumped alongside him to join in on the stand-off.

“Put down the weapon soldier!” Fox growled trying to approach the armed man, but Vix held him back.

She slowly stepped into the line of shot, “It’s okay, trooper. Fox here means no harm, just give me the blaster back and we can go somewhere quiet for us to talk, yeah?”

Oh-One still held the blaster up, briefly thinking over her offer, before placing it in Vix’s outstretched hand. The other clones behind him relaxed immediately, while the clone escort just sighed heavily beside them. 

“See what I mean by ‘complications’?”

Vix nervously chuckled, trying to calm down her pounding heart as the escort abandoned them to return to his ship. The anger radiating off of Fox was visible by her and the clones, trying desperately to keep his calm in front of the GAR personnel scattered on the tarmac.

“Commander Fox, why don’t you head back to your office? I can take it from here,” she offered.

Fox shot the men a murderous scowl, before turning to face her with a much softer, concerned look in his eyes.

“Alright, Commander. Just comm me if _anything_ happens, alright?”

She nodded and he sighed heavily, scowling at the clones one last time before heading back to his speeder. Now Vix was alone with four dangerous, slightly unstable clones and had no idea what to do with them.

“Sir, may I say something?” Oh-One asked.

“Of course.”

“I want to apologize for my ‘reaction’. Even though Commander Fox is a superior officer, I could smell his pheromones and just wanted to protect you from his true intentions.”

She stared blankly for a moment, “Smell? What the kriff are you talking about? And what ‘intentions?”

“Yes, smell. I picked up hints of sex and territorial pheromones coming from the Commander, but you are not producing the same kind so I felt I needed to protect you. My apologies, sir.”

_Sex pheromones? What the kriff is up with this guy? And about Fox of all people?_

The smallest clone piped up behind his brothers, “Maybe we should go to that quiet place she mentioned so we can tell her everything.”

Oh-One deliberated before returning to his brothers, “I agree, RC-19. Sir if you don’t mind, the ships in the area are starting to give me a headache.”

Realizing how busy the shipyard was becoming with new vehicles and swarms of squads marching alongside them, she guided them over to an unoccupied transport, electing to take them back to her apartment to figure out a better plan for them.

The ride over, the four clones sat frozen in their seats, their widened eyes studying the webs of traffic that hang across Coruscant. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on and what she was going to do with these men. Clearly from their interaction with Fox, they shouldn’t be staying in the barracks, but it’s not like she had room back in her apartment to house and feed four grown men for the rest of the war. What she needed to do right now was finding out more about who they were and what kind of ‘mutations’ they had like Blitz mentioned earlier.

It took them some convincing to enter her apartment, but after minutes of slowly coaxing them into the space, they began exploring every nook and cranny of her home. It reminded her of the first time she had entered the space with Fives and Echo in tow, gawking at the bay windows and size of the place. But she needed to tuck those thoughts away; they were gone and she needed to move on.

After the men stopped exploring and settled down on her couch, Oh-One began explaining everything. 

They were the sole survivors of an experimental group the Kaminoans were working on; only four out of the total fifty had survived out of infancy. Oh-One had heightened senses, claiming that was how he knew what Fox’s intentions, whatever that really means, were back on the runway. Oh-Three had enhanced eyesight, Oh-Six was larger and stronger than the average clone, but it didn’t take much knowledge aside from looking at him to see how much bigger he really was to his brothers and Nineteen, who was the youngest in the group, had enhanced mental capacity and intelligence. They talked about how Nala Se kept the group hidden in Timira City, one of the Kaminoan cities off-limits to GAR personnel and officers, and how intense their training had been over the years. For hours the four clones spoke about their history, answering every question she asked and giving suggestions for squad procedures in their next steps.

By the time they had finished talking, Vix had cooked them dinner and created makeshift beds for them on the living room floor, promising to find them a ship in the morning that they could call home. It was a good distraction for now, the longing she had for Fives slowly fading away to the back of her mind but it would only be short-lived, as they decided the group would head out of Coruscant by the end of the week. For now though, this would be just fine.

The next day, the five of them headed to the GAR complex to select a ship, pick up armor, and start preparing them for their first assignment. She was adamant about them picking out their own armor and whatever firepower they wanted, encouraging them to express themselves in any way Nala Se would hate. 

The boys bounced off ideas for tattoos, hair dye, armor designs, even picking out their individual names and squad name. Vix was patient with each of them, giving feedback and assisting in any way she could, and after the first day together it had paid off. Oh-One decided on ‘Hunter, Oh-Three picked ‘Crosshair’, Oh-Six liked the way ‘Wrecker’ sounded, and the three clones helped Nineteen come up with ‘Tech’. The names were a little on-the-nose for each of their corresponding mutations, but a clone picking out their own name was a sacred rite of passage, one she wouldn’t spoil for any of them.

Eventually when it came time to pick out a squad name, the men had joked about them being a ‘bad batch’ of clone troopers which reminded her of someone who’d been called that back on Kamino; 99. She told them the story of the clone, how gentle and kind he was, and how his bravery helped her and the rest of the troops protect Kamino from the Separatist attack before his untimely passing. The four clones agreed that as an original ‘bad batcher’, they should honor his legacy and call the squad something in memory of him; Clone Force 99.

* * *

Vix stood on the concrete runway and watched Clone Force 99 fly away in their new _Nu_ -class modified transport, off to assist Commander Gree in a siege on Cato Neimoidia. 

Just in the past few days with them, she had come to love those four clones so deeply, acting almost as an older sister for them. She had made it clear that the squad had free range to do whatever needed to be done, as long as the now-Sergeant Hunter approved and it wouldn’t be classified as a ‘war crime’. They promised to comm her frequently and send her reports on missions, but would limit the attention they attracted among the other troopers to protect their covert operations.

As the ship disappeared from the sky, she hopped in her speeder to head back to the GAR complex, hoping to catch Fox or any of his brothers in their shared office space. When she walked in, three clone commanders were sitting in their respective desks typing away madly on their datapads.

“Hey, Fox!”

The Commander waved her over to join them, the other two troopers wrapping up their work quickly.

She sat on the edge of his desk, “Stone, Thorn, how is Corrie life these days?”

Thorn sighed dramatically, “I tell ya, if one more bounty hunter tries to kidnap a Senator I ain’t gonna stand in their way.”

Stone beside him chuckled as he moved over to playfully nudge Fox’s shoulder.

“Bet ya ‘Mr. Fox-y’ would rather deal with ten more Senator kidnappings than have to deal with more Zillo beast clean-up.”

Fox ran his hands through his graying hair, “Not saying I would want more threats on the Senate, but if I could pick between that or filling out one more incident report from this rebuild project, I think we know which I would go with.”

Stone snickered at his brother, before collecting his helmet and heading towards the door with Thorn at his heels.

“You’ll get through it, _vod_. Thorn and I are gonna head out for the night, good luck finishing that paperwork. See ya later, Vix!”

She waved them goodbye as they left, leaving her and Fox alone in the stuffy office.

“So, heard your new boys have gone on their first mission. Nervous?”

She scoffed as she moved over into Thorn’s nearby chair, “Please, nervous? I ain’t in command of them really and from what they’ve told me of their flash training, I feel pretty confident that they can handle anything.”

“They seem.. interesting.”   
“They really are. But they will be constantly out on missions, so I just have to check in with them once in a while. Why? Jealous that I have more men following me around?” 

Vix meant it playfully, but Fox stiffened at the teasing. She hadn’t forgotten about the incident between him and Hunter, but merely decided that it would be something she needed to investigate herself.

“Maybe I am. Your last two ARC boys were something. Echo was fine, but Fives…”   
“Yeah don’t act like I haven’t noticed. What’s your deal with Fives?” 

She studied him as he closed his datapad and leaned against his desk, “The way he looks at you, like he would follow you to the edge of the galaxy. It makes me…” 

“Jealous?” She implied again.

“Respectfully Commander, shut up.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about them anymore. Now I guess I’ll wait for the next training group, whenever they show up.” 

Fox leaned back, watching her slink down in her own chair. The realization was now setting in for her, she was all alone again.

“Ya know, you’re always welcome with me and the Corries. I was actually thinking about promoting Thire to Commander anyways, if you would want to train him,” Fox offered.

A sad smile grew on her face, “I’d like that, it would be a good distraction right now.” 

“A distraction? From what?” He asked.

“Everything.” 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters are gonna be super angsty, you have been warned.


	13. Duty Calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be aware: there are hints of depressive thoughts at the end of the chapter.

“Wrecker, do you want to explain to me what happened to you?”

Angry red scars webbed across the left side of his head and the milky white glow of a new cybernetic eye stared back at her. After being on Cato Neimoidia for a month with the 41st, the newly-minted _Havoc Marauder_ touched down on her apartment landing pad in the early morning hours and dumped the four clones on her doorstep with new tattoos, new gear and apparently, new injuries.

Hunter and Crosshair sat on the floor of her living room disassembling every blaster and rifle in their stash while Wrecker sat on the couch, Vix and Tech hovering over him.

Wrecker shrugged, “We didn’t want ya to worry about it and it didn’t jeopardize the mission…”

Vix pinched the bridge of her nose, a massive headache imminent, “I don’t care about the mission right now, I care about you! Who even fixed you up out there?”

Right now she felt more like their mother than their commanding officer, scolding soldiers eleven going on twenty-two who clearly were going to be the death of her. 

“I did, Commander. I found an instructional video in the GAR medical database on burn treatment and cybernetic surgery, seemed pretty basic first aid to me,” Tech offered her his datapad. 

Multiple sections of the screen showed HUD footage from the four troopers of the explosion playing out in front of her as well as the medical videos Tech had mentioned showing graphic descriptions of the first aid procedures. From what she saw, all four had done nothing wrong and it simply seemed like Wrecker was in the wrong place at the wrong time; his helmet video capturing bright fireballs consuming his form from a hidden landmine.

Vix sat down next to the injured clone, “I’m sorry this happened to you, Wrecker. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, boss. Takes a lot more heat to take out the ‘Wrecking Ball’.”

She rolled her eyes and playfully pushed his shoulder, handing the datapad back to Tech.

“Tech, do I even want to know _where_ you found the cybernetic eye?”

“Sir, I don’t think you’d like my answer.”

He was right, she definitely wouldn’t, but all that mattered now was that the squad was safe and seemed able to handle themselves out on the field, more or less.

She wandered over to Hunter and Crosshair, studying their new tattoos intently, “When did y’all have the time to get those done?”

Hunter leaned back on his elbows, “Well technically we finished the mission two weeks ago, so we’ve just been doing some other ‘side gigs’ until we felt it was time to head back here.”

“I swear y’all are gonna give me a stroke,” massaging her temples in circular motions as she tried not to lose her temper.

“We were just getting bored, the ‘regs’ were doing a shit job on Cato and the job was pretty easy. Didn’t want ya thinking we rushed through it or anything,” Hunter said.

She blinked slowly at the men, “So you’re telling me that you purposely tried to make yourselves look like you weren’t as good at your jobs as you actually are, because you thought I would be mad at you?”

Hunter thought for a moment, “Yeah that’s pretty much it, Commander.”

If she wasn’t already upset about Wrecker’s injury, then the thought that they somehow feared her only made it worse. When she had met them, it felt like pulling teeth to get them to open up about what Nala Se had put them through and from what she got out of them, it wasn’t good. The Kaminoans who helped her train the cadets and those who worked in the nursery were pretty docile and harmless, but the scientists who lived in the domed-city were not to be trusted. 

Their society was built on perfection and anyone, native or clone, who didn’t fit into their idea of genetic superiority was deemed irrelevant. On more than one occasion she had intervened on behalf of a supposed ‘defective’ training squad; first with Domino, now with Clone Force 99. 

But for Nala Se to knowingly experiment on these men to create ‘desirable’ mutations and _then_ keep them hidden from the Republic until recently meant only one thing to Vix; an ulterior motive was at play. When her ‘Bad Batch’ had fully recovered from this past mission, she would have them investigate more into the mystery of their existence. But for now, she would let them rest at her place and bask in the sanctuary of a ‘reg-free’ hideout, a term she was coming to understand meant any clone who wasn’t as extraordinary as them.

The holoprojector in the living room flashed with an incoming call, and after accepting it, the blue image of Commander Fox appeared in front of her and the squad.

“Hey, Vixus. Boys,” he tersely offered to the men now protectively crowding around her.

“Hey Fox, the squad just got back from Cato so I’m not gonna be in the office today.”

Fox almost looked flustered as his image looked down on her and her men, “Actually I just got a comm from Wolffe. Apparently him and most of our batch are back in town and they want to go out to 79’s. Would you want to go with me?”

Vix couldn’t help but notice how he said _me_ instead of _us_. Small things like that had been happening over the past month, moments where the usually stoic man would soften and focus entirely on her. Maybe she was reading too much into it, or maybe because she was trying so unbelievably hard to forget about a certain ARC trooper, but these moments had actually been nice. She was still new to this whole ‘friend’ thing after all, and it was odd to think that the scary Marshal Commander of Coruscant wanted to be her friend.

“Yeah, I’d love to go!”

Fox’s face lit up as he relaxed, a shaky breath escaping his lips, “Oh okay, great. Want to meet us at 2100? I would offer to pick you up, but I don’t think your men would like that very much.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Crosshair grumbled.

Vix rolled her eyes, “Sounds good, Fox. See ya then,” and with a tap of the projector his image dissolved.

Hunter huffed beside her, “I don’t trust that ‘reg’.” 

“Clearly, is it because of the day y’all arrived here on Coruscant?” She asked.

“Of course, my senses don’t lie when it comes to reading people.” 

“Hunter, you never really explained what you sensed about Fox.”

Hunter studied her for a moment, his eyebrow not covered by his new tattoo shooting upwards at her, “That man is in love with ya, it’s painfully obvious even without my heightened abilities.” 

“What? You’re crazy, Fox is just a good friend. Maybe your senses are wrong for once,” Vix scoffed.

Tech shoved in between his brothers, “Actually, I noticed it too. His body language and vocal tone are all textbook signs of courtship, maybe it’s just not painfully obvious to you like it is for us.” 

“Y’all are just messing with me, keep it up and I’ll have y’all ready every reg manual on my bookshelf while I’m out with the commanders,” Vix threatened. 

Crosshair slid a thin arm around her Vix’s shoulders and guided her back to the couch.

“We’ve already read those. Besides, I’m pretty sure even Wrecker can see Fox is pining after ya with only one good eye, and his vision ain’t 20/20 like mine,” tapping his right eye where his new tattoo wrapped around.

“Geez, I didn’t realize part of Nala Se’s experiments on y’all included increasing your sass levels. 

Crosshair offered a pompous smile, “No, this is all just for you, Commander.” 

“Great, lucky me.” 

Hunter sat down beside her on the couch, “All we’re saying is, just be careful. Something about him doesn’t sit right with us, and we just care about ya.” 

“Thanks, boys. Why don’t I make us some lunch and we can go over possible next missions for ya, okay?” 

Each clone eagerly accepted her offer, and began throwing themselves into their usual work. The rest of the day was spent reviewing their HUD cameras, looking over reports, and discussing their next assignment. She didn’t want them to feel held back by the regular battalions like they were on Cato Neimoidia, so until further notice they would act as completely independent, at least until she could find someone else to look out for them on the field. Looking through intelligence reports on his datapad, Tech found a possible assignment; citing rumors circulating about Sullust leaving the Republic in favor of the Separatists. Within a few hours, a full reconnaissance mission was planned with a departure set for the morning, giving them men the rest of the night to rest up while Vix headed out to 79’s. 

* * *

_The last time I was in this bar, I got laid._

The dark irony of the thought didn’t escape her mind, as she had spent every waking moment for the past month trying to forget about Fives, and yet that thought could have easily come out of the trooper’s mouth. For the most part it had worked, it felt very similar to the period before they started messaging one another back when she was on Kamino and he was on Rishi. A thought here and there, a sudden spike of panic for his safety that could easily be pushed away from her mind; nothing more, nothing less.

But she had been pretty thorough in convincing herself of this false happiness and it seemed to be working pretty well at quieting the longing and heartbreak she had for the man, especially with Fox by her side this entire time.

Her Clone Force men might be right about Fox’s true ‘intentions’, but he seemed too dedicated to the Chancellor and to the Republic to ever act on it. He knew just as well as her the consequences of clone-civvie relations, and Fox didn’t seem like the type to gamble with the rules. He was a very ‘black-and-white’ kind of guy, which meshed well with Vix’s grey morality she had developed in her military career. He was loyal, he was stable, and he was a good friend; all things she needed to get Fives off her mind.

Walking into the always-crowded bar, she immediately finds the commanders huddled around the best table in the house, no shiny brave enough to stand near their most fearsome brethren. Fox waved her over and shifted out of the booth to greet her, with Bly, Bacara, Wolffe, and Gree rising as well.

“Well if it ain’t my favorite group of _di’kuts_ ,” she playfully griped as each commander gave her a tight hug. Fox’s hold lingered noticeably longer than the others, even his hands resting lower on her back than she would have preferred. A melodic whistle caught her attention and she pulled away, much to the visible disappointment of the Marshal Commander.  
“Vix’ika you look like you came straight off a laatie’s nose art,” Gree offered.

Glancing down briefly at her usual black ensemble, she shot the green-armored Commander a roguish smile.

“Good to know you’re still a charmer like always, Gree. But I don’t know if I trust your opinion on beauty when you have a haircut like _that,”_ pointing at his obnoxiously red hair that ran in two stripes down his head.

“Oh all of you can go kriff yourselves. For the last time, it’s to honor our fallen brothers. I’m pretty honorable, ya know.” 

The other commanders, including Vix, just chuckled at the trooper. Bly clapped hard on his brother’s back, “Sure thing, vod. Just keep telling yourself that and maybe one day we’ll actually believe it.” 

Gree scowled, “Oh yeah? Well at least I don’t get face tattoos to attract my Jedi General’s attention.”

“Shut it, ‘stripes’.” 

Fox pushed the two men away from each other, clearly fed up with their little ‘conversation’.

“Can both of you shut up? Vixus just got here and I’m certain she doesn’t want to hear you nerf-herders fight all night.” 

Vix motioned for everyone to sit back down in the booth, as she slid on the edge to sit by Fox.

“I mean I am enjoying the free show, but I’m sure Bacara and Wolffe would much rather drink and talk about something else,” She offered.

The two men looked particularly miserable this evening, the usual scowl cemented on Wolffe’s scarred face while Bacara’s rugged beard and stern features made the clone look extremely disinterested in the prospect of ‘having fun’.

Bacara pushed a glass of whiskey towards her, gesturing to his already empty cup, “You got that right, Commander. These _di’kuts_ dragged me out here against my free will, so I’m going to drink my weight in Corellian whiskey.” 

“Well while you do that, the rest of y’all tell me how things have been. Bly, I’ve heard a thing or two about that General of yours,” She teased the gold-armored Commander.

The gold tattoos on his cheekbones glowed slightly as his face reddened, his armored body stiffening considerably in the booth, “General Secura is a powerful Jedi Master, she is loyal and strong and is the finest military leader I could possibly have. I’m truly honored to fight at her side every day.” 

Wolffe huffed, dramatically rolling his eyes at his brother, “I think what Vix’ika meant was for you to tell us about your ‘girlfriend’.” 

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Vix shot him a knowing look, “Bly, I think the only real thing every clone shares other than Jango’s DNA is the inability to lie. So come clean, I ain’t gonna rat you out. And I’m sure ‘Silver Fox’ here can mind his own business and not tattletail to the Chancellor.” 

Bly was silent for a moment, studying each one of his brother’s faces and glancing around the crowd to see if anyone was eavesdropping. He shuffled closer to the table, “Okay, okay. Aayla… is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Watching her fight, saving the galaxy with her, hell just being with her is all I want to do the rest of my life.” 

“Kriff, Bly’s a goner,” Gree said.

Bly eagerly nodded as he took a sip, “You have no idea, _vod_. I’m gonna marry that girl once this war is over and done with.” 

Wolffe choked slightly, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. You’re a clone, she’s a Jedi. How’s that gonna work out?” 

Bly shrugged, “I don’t know and I don’t care. Once this war is over, her and I have big plans and I’m eager to get a start on them. Besides, I know I’m not the only one who’s thought about life after the war.” 

“You’re crazy, Bly. You keep runnin’ your mouth like this and Palps is gonna come down here and execute your _shebs_ ,” Bacara grumbled.

“Now hold on just a minute. I’m actually interested to see if y’all have thought about after the war. What would y’all do?” Vix asked.

_Would the clones be allowed to leave? Could they explore the galaxy, fall in love, start families? Was that even something they would want?_

Maybe it was too personal of a question or maybe she somehow knew the grim answer; these men were created to be soldiers, nothing more. But now she desperately wanted to know what they wanted, because some selfish part of her hoped that they longed for a normal life. Because if the five commanders sitting around her had dreams of love, family, or normalcy, who’s to say Fives wouldn’t want that too?

The question clearly caught them all off guard, as each trooper flinched slightly upon hearing it. Vix was about to open her mouth to apologize just as Fox spoke up.

“I don’t know, Vixus. Probably whatever the Senate or the Supreme Chancellor tells me to do.” 

Gree leaned forward, “I would want to go to school, if they’d let me. Maybe study xenobiology.”

Bacara huffed, “I’m with Fox on this. Don’t think there is anything else I really could do besides war.” 

“I know this is gonna sound crazy, but a part of me likes the idea of being a father,” Wolffe quietly admitted.

“Like some woman is crazy enough to find that eye of yours sexy,” Bacara jostled his brother.

Vix offered a smile to the scarred trooper, “Well I for one think the eye and the scar add a bit of mystery to ya,” sending a playful wink his way.

Wolffe grinned, “Thanks, Vix’ika. As I was _saying_ … General Plo kind of acts like our _buir_ , and it doesn’t seem like a scary thing. Settling down with someone, having kids, _Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori’wadaas’la_ , ya know?”

“What does that mean, Wolffe?” She asked.

Wolffe sighed wistfully, “It um, it means that nobody cares who your father was, only the father you will be. I know most people in the Republic probably think Jango was our _buir_ , but how could he possibly raise millions of us in addition to the one clone he _actually_ wanted for an _ad_.” Vix was stunned by this revelation; she assumed all clones held Jango Fett high up on a pedestal like she did, but clearly not. Even though no mother birthed them, no father showed them how to be warriors, all they had wanted was someone, besides each other, to care for them. Understanding that all the clones really wanted was a family made her realize how similar she was to them after all.

Gree spoke up, “What do you want, Commander? Find a strong, devilishly-handsome young man to pamper you for the rest of your life?” He winked, which erupted laughter from her and the men around the table.

“Oh sure, imagine me a mother of four with nine on the way, taking care of the younglings while my husband is off at work every day. No thanks,” She quipped as she sipped her whiskey.

“Come on, Vix’ika. You can’t expect the men to get all honest and vulnerable without getting it in return. So what do you _really_ want, huh?” Bly asked.

Vix groaned as she thought for a moment. 

_What do I really want? A family? Belonging? To not die alone? Or do I really just want Fives?_

“Fine, fine. I-” 

Suddenly a throat was cleared at the front of the table, cutting her off. Commander Cody and Captain Rex stood drinks in hand, watching their brother’s reactions to their arrival.

“Didn’t realize we were doing a family reunion,” Cody said as Vix hopped out of the booth to hug them both.

“When did y’all get back in?” 

Cody chuckled at her in amusement, “Just now, Skywalker and Kenobi got called in for some big Jedi meeting. I guess that’s probably while all of you are on leave too?” 

“What a smart Marshal Commander, they grow up so fast don’t they?” Wolffe mockingly sniffled.

Rex touched her shoulder, “Vix, have Echo and Fives seen you yet?” 

“What? They’re here?” 

She began scanning the crowd for the two ARC troopers, the sea of identical faces clouding her vision.

Rex pointed, “Yeah, actually they’re over by the bar.” 

“If y’all will excuse me.” 

Vix quickly got up and slid through the crowd towards the blue armor in the distance. She was confused as to why they hadn’t let her know they were back in town, but perhaps their arrival on Coruscant was short noticed. She could make up excuses all night for their lack of communication, but her stomach began tangling in knots as she grew closer. It would be great to catch up with Echo, but Fives… She was desperately trying to convince herself not to blurt out a love confession the moment she saw him.

The two men faced the bar, unaware of her sneaking up, “Fancy seeing you here.”

Echo’s head snapped around and a large grin broke on his face, “Vix! It’s so good to see you! How are things?” Hugging her quickly in greeting.

“Good, yeah I um, I’ve been working with the Supreme Chancellor recently and that’s been pretty exciting. But tell me how y’all have been!” She asked.

Fives pushed off from the bar, “Excuse me, I need some air.” 

He brushed past Vix and headed towards the exit, leaving her shocked and bewildered with Echo by her side.

“What was that all about?” 

Echo rested his hand on her shoulder, “Vix, you have to understand that things for Fives have been… difficult the past month.” 

“Difficult?” 

He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, trying to figure out what to say, “I don’t know what’s going on, but he hasn’t been the same since graduation. I can only assume it had something to do with your little ‘sleepover’.” 

She knew there was no point in denying it, the man had practically acted as their matchmaker. But it was still odd hearing one of her best friends openly acknowledge it when she had spent the past month trying to block it out.

“Is that why he didn’t comm me that y’all were back in town?” 

Echo could only sigh as he shook his head, “Trust me I wanted to, but he said no. I think you need to talk to him and see what’s wrong, he won’t talk to me about it.” 

“Okay, thanks Echo.” 

“Anytime, Commander.” 

She followed after Fives, who now leaned over a railing outside in front of the bar; looking down among the thousands of levels that made up Galactic City. The usually temperature-controlled evening was slightly chilled, the crisp breeze sending a chill down her spine as she approached him. What would she say? What _should_ she say? The two of them now had a complicated history, and the last time they were this close she was painfully reminded of their agreement.

_To hell with that agreement, I need to tell him._

“Hey, is something wrong?” 

Fives didn’t even turn to acknowledge her, “What do you mean?” 

She joined him at the railing, watching the endless supply of traffic that wove its way through the city.

“I don’t know, it just seems like you don’t want to see me. Is it because of your graduation night?” 

“You’re really gonna stand there and pretend like you don’t know?” 

She turned to face him, “I’m sorry?” 

Still not looking at her, she could see his jaw tighten as he huffed, “First, it was the ridiculous idea that we could sleep together and not deny our feelings anymore. Then you message me after I’ve left and tell me it meant nothing to you. And now you have the nerve to lie to my face?” 

This was not what she was expecting from this conversation. The anger radiating from Fives was intense as he clearly struggled to keep his composure. But she had absolutely no clue what he was talking about.

She held her hands up defensively, “Whoa, I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about. And for the record, we both agreed to the same terms; don’t make it sound like I seduced you or something.” 

It was hard enough to live with herself knowing she had the opportunity to be with him, but to have it thrown in her face like this was uncalled for. It was cold, it was bitter, it was so unlike the man standing beside her.

He chuckled to himself somehow amused by her response, “Ya know I could forget everything that’s happened, every little moment we shared and every time I thought we could finally be together. But you made yourself perfectly clear in your message that you had feelings for someone else, not me.” 

She was no longer confused by his unfounded accusation; now she was getting equally pissed off, “What kriffing message do you keep bringing up? I haven’t sent you anything, just thinking about you has been so painful since you’ve left.” 

Fives shot towards her, his face swimming with anger and hurt, “Why don’t you go ask your little Corrie boy-toy, maybe he can refresh your memory of the love declaration you wrote about him.” 

His words hit something deep within her, burning from the inside out as she desperately tried to figure out what was going on. She knew they had been yelling, as troopers and other patrons on the deck gave them looks of displeasure from their outburst. But she didn’t care. Not when the love of her life was breaking her heart in front of total strangers.

Rex, Cody, and Echo rushed out of the bar entrance and landed behind them. It might have been obvious that Fives and Vix had been fighting, but the look on the clone’s faces seemed too hard-pressed to care.

“Fives, we have to go. General Skywalker is calling in an emergency briefing and wants you and Echo to come with us,” Cody sternly ordered.

Fives sighed, taking a step back from her, “Vix, I have to go.” 

She shook her head, digging her nails so tightly in her palms it must have drawn blood, “No this isn’t fair! You don’t get to claim that I don’t love you and then run off to some battlefront. You should know by now that I would never do anything to hurt you. Trust me, Fives.” She reached to touch his arm, not caring that this moment was being witnessed by the three clones beside her. But Fives gingerly batted her hand away.

“Vix, I have to leave. Now.”

Her blood ran fire hot, “Fine, leave. It’s what you’re good at.”

The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop it, but it was too late. Fives flinched slightly and slowly turned towards the waiting men. Vix resumed her attention back on the cityscape, not caring to watch the men leave her when all she wanted to do was be alone right now.

But a moment later, she felt someone approach her, “Hey Vixus, we were wondering where you headed off to,” Fox said.

“What did you do, Fox.” 

She turned to face him and a look of confusion greeted her.

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you say something to Fives?” 

A moment of realization flashed across his face briefly before he tried to play it off, “Why would you ask something like that? Come back inside.”

He offered his hand out to her, but she smacked it away.

“No! I just had a little conversation with Fives. He claims I sent him a message right after his graduation claiming I’m in love with you. Do you know anything about this?”

“Vixus, come on-” She cut him off.

“Don’t lie to me, Fox. Or am I going to have to order you to tell me the truth, _Commander_?” 

Fox stiffened, his eyes darkening as his playful act dissolved. If she wasn’t so pissed off at the moment, she would almost be scared of the man in front of her.

“Fine, I sent it.” 

A hot, shaky breath escaped as she tried to calm herself, “Why would you do something so _idiotic_ like this?”

“Why would _you_ do something as _idiotic_ as sleep with a soldier under your command?” He jeered.

All the anger that was building deep in her core snapped away, as panic took its place. Her heart quickened and she tried to lie to cover her tracks but her mouth couldn’t form the words.

Fox nodded smuggly down at her, “That’s right, I figured it out. I knew from the second I stepped foot in your apartment that he had spent the night. I’m the Marshal Commander of the Coruscant Guard, nothing happens in this city without me knowing about it.” 

“But why do all of this?” 

She just had Fives rip her heart out, but Fox’s deception had ripped it in two. He was her friend, and yet he so easily betrayed her trust like it was nothing. He carefully grabbed her hands and held them close to his chest. It made her uneasy to be this close to him, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as his thumb stroked the top of her hands.

“Because he isn’t good enough for you, Vixus. I can give you everything he could never dream of obtaining. And since I have the Chancellor’s favor, our relationship doesn’t have to be a secret. You could get everything you’ve ever wanted if we were together,” His tone was soft and gentle, but it stung her just the same. She ripped her hands out of his hold, not being able to hear the words coming out of his mouth.

“But I don’t want you, you _di’kut_ , I want Fives! Fox, you have always been a loyal man and a great friend but we are nothing more. I love Fives with every _fiber_ of my being and you have single-handedly ruined any chance of me finally having any shot of happiness with him. Can’t you see that?” 

Fox just stood there, his face not betraying whatever his thoughts were as he scanned her agitated face. It could have been seconds, minutes, even days for how long they faced each other, as the sound of traffic and drunk bar patrons around them filled the silence between them. 

“I’m sorry, Vixus.” 

“No, it’s ‘Commander’ to you from now on. I’m going home, make up some excuse for the boys to hear.” 

Without waiting for a response, she abandoned Fox and hopped in her nearby speeder, trying not to cry as she took off and headed home.

* * *

The moment she walked through her apartment doors, the members of Clone Force 99 knew something was wrong. The old Vixus would have quietly avoided everyone and pretended like nothing had happened. But the new Vixus that had been born from Fives’ rejection and Fox’s deception sat down on the couch and told them everything. 

She started from Domino's graduation, talking her way through months and months of her history with Fives and the feelings she bore for him. The only thing she didn’t go into detail about was sleeping with him, but the four troopers sat quietly around her as she talked for what seemed like hours, not interrupting or asking a single question. Now calmed down, she knew some part of her should be worried that Fox knew about Fives; that he might retaliate against her and tell the Chancellor. But she didn’t care. The pain and anger of everything that had been building up now slowly dissolved the longer she spoke, and the more she felt like her men truly cared about her.

She now sat silently, waiting for their collective judgement to rain down on her. 

But all the four clones did was lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, each of them telling her everything would be alright and that they were glad she talked about it, then helped her turn in for bed without another word.

In the morning, Clone Force 99 departed for the Sullust system, leaving Vix alone in her apartment once more. For the first time in her GAR career, she decided to take a personal day and spent the entire morning lounging around the house, still trying to process everything that had happened.

In the span of a few hours, she had lost the love of her life, one of her closest friends, and now one of her newest squads had departed on a new assignment; unsure of when they would see her again. For a woman that had spent most of her life alone, abandoned by the people who claimed to love her, something about this moment felt different.

The anger she held for her father still smoldered after all these years, just like her frustration over her past still reared its ugly head every once in a while. But what she felt right now wasn’t anger, it was something far worse; hopelessness.

The grief she felt for losing Fives hung over her for the rest of the day as she silenced her communicator and closed herself off from the outside world. She knew the commanders she had abandoned last night were probably messaging her, just as Fox was probably profusely apologizing, but none of it mattered. 

Nothing mattered. 

She had messed up the best thing to happen to her and there was no going back. As the day faded into night, she could feel the walls in her mind that Fives had helped tear down over the past few months slowly rebuild, reinforcing themselves to shield her from any more harm. Her heart will never heal from this because she will _never_ let it, using this pain to remind herself that she is meant to be alone.

At some point she realizes that she had spent hours sitting curled up on the couch, too consumed within her own head to notice the time flying past her. The oversized sleep shirt and shorts she still wore from the night before would be too much of an effort to change out of for the night as she begrudgingly made a small dinner and absent-mindedly ate it in the silence of her kitchen. Even food was now beginning to lose flavor and texture as she reminded herself that she was eating to survive, nothing more.

The only thing that seemed appealing was sleep; an escape from this reality where maybe she could dream that everything was perfect in her life.

She put the dishes away and shuffled out of her kitchen towards her bedroom, when a soft knock echoed from her front door.

“Fox, if that’s you go away.”

A moment passed before the knock returned. The chrono on her wall read too late for any visitors, even too late for her to be still up, but she trudged towards the door and opened it without caring to see who it might be through the peephole.

Before her stood Fives, his armor coated with a thick layer of ash and sulfur, and his helmet clutched tightly in his arms. The usual warmth of his tanned skin was drained of all color and his hair was coated in a heavy layer of sweat and dirt. Bloodshot eyes stared back at her as Vix scanned up and down his tired form.

“Fives? What happened?” 

“Echo’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As one of the biggest Foxiyo stans, I would like to officially apologize for making Fox a villain in this story. But I promise you it will serve a purpose later on.
> 
> Also
> 
> I SWEAR BY THE LIGHT OF LOTHAL'S MOONS THAT FIVES AND ECHO WILL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN


	14. Beneath a Moonless Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a nice winter/holiday break! If you are like me, it was probably spent being emotionally compromised by the Mandalorian finale so I needed a break from writing. But I'm back baby!

“What did you say?” 

She knew exactly what he’d just said, but it just wasn’t registering in her brain. It just can’t be possible. It couldn’t.

Fives stood frozen in the doorway, his wide eyes staring through Vix as if she were an apparition, and the bright glow of the hallway lighting made his unshed tears glisten at the brim.

He took a shaky breath, “Echo is _dead_ ,” the last word accented with a bitter sharpness that sounded foreign rolling off his tongue.

It was clear that Fives was hanging on by a thread, one that was about to snap. 

Realizing that a battle-weathered ARC trooper was standing in her doorway for all of her neighbors to see, Vix gently reached out and beckoned him inside, closing the door behind him. He now stood motionless in the foyer, she could barely tell if he was even breathing, like any movement from him would be too much. She knew the effects of shock, and clearly whatever the trooper had been through in the past 24 hours since she last saw him, had rattled him to his core.

“Um, let’s get you cleaned up and then we'll talk. Okay?” She softly asked.

All Fives could manage was a slight nod, before she guided him into her room and through the bathroom door. She turned her shower on, letting the water build up to a scalding temperature while she moved to face the subdued trooper. With another silent nod of permission, she gently began removing his armor and stacking the plastoid pieces neatly on the counter, then helped peel his black bodysuit and greys off to usher him under the steamy water.

She quickly scurried out of the room and back into the living area to place his clothes in the wash, before heading back to her closet to find something for him to wear while his ash-soiled clothes were being clean. Lucky for him, she liked wearing oversized shirts and shorts to bed and found a clean set for him to wear once he got out of the shower; folding it neatly on the bed for him.

Now she returned to the couch and waited, her mind racing with possibilities and excuses for everything that was happening. Any pitiful thoughts she had been feeling hours prior about her situation with Fives had disappeared completely, some innate instinct to protect and comfort him had kicked in the second she had opened her door. If what Fives said was true, Echo was...gone. 

That realization knocked the air out of her lungs and she felt her body shake with a stifled sob, but she needed to keep it together for now, at least for Fives’ sake. She leaned over onto her knees and anxiously wringed her hands, trying to focus on calming herself down before Fives was finished in the bathroom. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. She has no perception of the time ticking by waiting nervously for an explanation, until a voice from her bedroom grabs her attention.

“Hey.” 

The black sleep shirt and shorts were tight, but they would work in the meantime for Fives, who already looked a little less rugged than before. But even as he stood in the dimly lit shadow of her bedroom, the lingering remains of his grief and anguish still weighed visibly on his tense shoulders.

“Hey.”

Vix watched as he moved to join her on the couch, his movements so delicate and slow as if he could physically crack at any moment. Water droplets still clung to his tight, black curls and Vix wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through his hair, but she needed to give Fives space and patience. He’d made the decision to come to her apartment even after their fight, so he clearly still trusted her to offer something he needed. What exactly she _had_ to offer, Vix didn’t know at the moment, but she would do anything he asked of her.

“Do you think you can tell me what happened?” She cautiously asked.

Fives’ back ran rigid against the couch cushion, fiddling with his hands as he took a few grounding breaths.

“Jedi Master Even Piell was captured with his crew and was held in the Citadel.” 

Vix was slightly taken aback, “Like _the_ Citadel on Lola Sayu? That’s Separatist territory right?” 

He nodded, “Yeah, they took a squad of us to break into the prison and rescue everyone. General Piell died, as did most of the men. And then right when we were trying to load the transport to escape, Echo ran ahead of us to clear the way and…” His hands balled up into fists so tight they could crush durasteel, and the weight of Echo’s fate hung heavily in every word Fives struggled to speak.

This man was so strong, so loyal, and yet so unfairly cursed to live a life where he was not supposed to feel, to not care. Vix would never know how many brothers Fives has lost in the almost two years this war has waged, but she knew that none of them would hurt as much as losing Echo. The Kaminoans believed that grief would slow down a trooper in combat and the Jedi often cautioned about the dangers of sorrow, but Vix knew now that these emotions were not to be feared. It was something she herself was still struggling to accept after years and years of pushing down her feelings, but meeting Fives helped her understand that she was allowed to trust herself.

Vix shifted herself on the couch to face him and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers tightly.

“It’s okay, Fives.” 

A tear escaped down his cheek, “He’s gone. He’s gone and I had no choice...but I had to leave him. I wanted to go back, Vix. I _tried_ , but Rex stopped me. And then I had to stand and watch the Jedi give a funeral for their man after my best friend died in front of me. My _brother_! And it didn’t matter to anyone besides me!” His cheeks were now wet as he finally looked at Vix, trying to hold back the sobs fighting to erupt.

“I’m so sorry. I know you did all you could to save him, I believe you. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to not honor his death like they did for General Piell. That isn’t fair, and you have every right to feel angry and hurt right now. Echo was...such a good man,” she didn’t even realize she was crying until her vision of Fives blurred.

“He was the best of us.” 

Hot tears ran down her face as a shaky sigh escaped her mouth. Within seconds, both of them had wrapped their arms around each other tightly and the waves of sorrow and anguish hit them both deep in their core.. The reality of Echo’s death settled in as they gripped one another and whispered pleas and denials, anything to wake them up from this nightmare and let them know this wasn’t real. But she knew that was a fantasy; Echo was dead, and Fives was the last remaining member of Domino squad.

Both of them finally calmed down, their noses slightly stuffed and their eyes red and puffy from the tears, when they released each other from their death grip.

Vix sniffled, “Thank you for telling me.”

“Thank you for listening,” Fives offered.

She rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat as she shifted away from him.

“Do you need anything? Tea? Some food?” She tried to stand up, but was held back by a light touch on her arm.

“Can you… can you just stay with me?” 

If her heart wasn’t already broken, hearing Fives beg fractured it in two.

“Of course.” 

She scooted back towards him and was enveloped in his open arms, holding her tightly as he leaned back on the couch with her head pressed against his chest. She could hear the rapid beating of his heart soften as they held one another, and his breathing evened out from its earlier ragged state.

They snuggled closely for what seemed like an eternity, before Fives cleared his throat softly.

“Vix?” 

She sat up, “Yeah?” 

“I need to apologize. For what I said the other night.”

“No it’s fi-” 

“No it wasn’t fine. I should have never spoken to you like that. Can you forgive me?” 

She brings her legs up on the cushion and kneels towards him, holding both of his hands in hers.

“Of course I can, and I need to apologize as well. What I said to you wasn’t any better and you deserved none of it. But you need to know that I confronted Fox, he was the one to send the message to you.” 

His whole face tightened, “Really?”

“Yeah, he came clean. He knew about us, figured it out when you had stayed the night.” 

He closed his eyes tightly and his hands clung to hers firmly as he let out a long sigh, “I’m so sorry for ever doubting you. I’m the biggest _di’kut_ in the galaxy.”

She reached up and touched his cheek, “Please don’t say that, Fives. You know it’s not true.” His head turned away from her touch like it burned his skin.

“But it is! I was so easily convinced that everything I thought was true was a lie! It’s the second biggest mistake of my life.” 

“What’s the first?” She curiously asked.

He seemed spooked for a moment, his eyes flicking everywhere except on her. She realized maybe she shouldn’t have asked that, but suddenly the look of focus and direction flashed across his face. Fives brought his legs up to the cushion and mirrored Vix’s kneeled position, taking both of her hands and holding them closely to his chest.

“After Rishi, I learned the hard way that you need to tell the people in your life how much you care for them. I missed that chance with Droidbait, Cutup, and Hevy, and I thought that maybe I wouldn’t mess up the next chance I got. But I did, and I will never forgive myself that I wasn’t honest sooner. I need you to know that I have loved you since the day we first met and have loved you every day since. You own a piece of my soul and I know I’ve probably ruined any chance I had, but you deserve the truth.” 

“I love you.” 

He slowly blinked at her, “What?” 

He seemed genuinely surprised by her response, so she moved closer and brought their hands up to her mouth, planting a soft kiss on his knuckles. The rules, the regulations, the law of the Republic didn’t matter anymore; Fives was the only thing that mattered to her.

“I love you more than you will _ever_ know. You have shown me that I am someone worthy of love and kindness, and I want to spend the rest of my life trying to repay you for that. I thought _I_ had ruined any chance of being with you, but I so desperately hoped I was wrong.”

Tears once again flowed from his eyes as he gave a choked chuckle, “You were. You were _so_ wrong, Vix. I will be there for you as long as you want me. I promise that. I love you.” 

“I love you.” 

Their lips met and the world melted around them, leaving the two of them alone to rejoice in this moment. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, letting her hands cradle his face as they slowly moved their lips. The salty taste of their shared tears coated their mouths as they both stopped to catch their breaths. Vix opened her eyes to see the shining amber of Fives’ eyes looking down on her with so much love, so much hope. Nothing could ever compare to this feeling right now. Finally admitting her love and getting it in return made her feel giddy with possibilities and the unexpected future that awaited them.

A lopsided grin grew on Fives’ face and they both giggled as the tension melted away; no war or government could tear them apart now. But their happiness could wait a while when they had the rest of their lives to spend together, right now they needed to focus on Echo. 

Fives moved in for another kiss, but Vix cradled his chin gently and coaxed him back, “We both need to take it easy right now. It’s been a long day, and I just want to be by your side through it all.”

The reminder of Echo’s death slowly faded back into his reality as he sighed, “Okay, _cyar’ika_. Let’s go to bed.” 

Hands intertwined, they slowly walked into her bedroom and got under the thick covers of her bed. They clung to one another, the warmth radiating off of Fives lulling Vix into a quick sleep as he cradled her gently in his arms. 

He was here, he was safe, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

The first thing her awareness fixated on as she awoke wasn’t the light filtering through her thin curtains or the hustle and bustle of Coruscanti traffic, but the muscular arm wrapped loosely around her waist. Slowly she shifted on her side as her eyes traveled up the tanned arm until she was face-to-face with Fives, who snored softly with lips slightly parted on the pillow.

_I can’t believe he’s really here._

In all the time she has known Fives, dreaming of waking up by his side and knowing he was safe, never could she have imagined it actually coming true.

His usually styled curly hair now sprang in every direction, and she desperately wanted to reach out and bat a low-hanging curl away from his eyes, but he looked so peaceful, so beautiful. She could easily spend the rest of her life laying in bed studying the lines and crevices of the man who held her whole heart.

Fives stirred in the sheets and glowing amber eyes squinted in the morning light to greet her.

“Good morning, _mesh’la_ ,” he yawned lazily.

“You’re still here.”

His tiredness disappeared as a look of panic flashed in his eyes, “Is that alright?” 

“It just feels like a dream. I never thought this could happen.” 

He fully relaxed and pulled Vix closer, holding her gently around her waist.

“Same here. But now we just take each day as it comes, right?” He asked.

She leaned in and softly gripped his goatee, “Right.” 

She slowly kissed him, finding the touch ground her in reality. He really was here, and he really was hers.

Now they sat at the dining room table drinking caf, eating breakfast, and feeling so...domestic.

In the past, Vix would often dream of having a normal ‘civvie’ life; the house, the loving family, the feeling of security and love. Anything and everything that she was robbed of as a child by her father and his choices. These fantasies had always been purely hypothetical and were only a cruel reminder of how much was missing in her life. But slowly these visions were replaced with false memories of Fives, the two of them lounging around _their_ house, with _their_ children, and enjoying a life she could only dream of having. It always left Vix foolishly wanting more, and now sitting with Fives, no sense of war or duty hanging over them, she basks in how wonderful it makes her feel that those fantasies might come true.

Fives had raided her pantry and her conservator and cooked what little Vix had to call ‘food’, into a full breakfast for the two of them, now inhaling the contents of his plate at lightning speed. She wants to blame the clone’s genetically-modified metabolism, but is keenly aware that the man probably hasn’t eaten in a full day cycle.

“So what happens now?” He mumbled through a full mouth.

Vix finished the remainder of her plate and slumped back in her chair, chewing slowly as she weighed her options.

“Well, I’m going to go ahead and transfer you under my command so you get some time off. That way we can do whatever you want until you feel ready.” .

_Ready for what exactly? Ready to go back to war? To forget your brother died in front of you? To pretend like now you don’t have someone praying to the Maker that you return home?_

As a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic with a genetically altered lifespan and no right to his own body, Fives didn’t have the time or luxury to relax, to grieve, to play the role of the doting lover. But he at least deserves the right to be a human and take a moment to process everything that has happened to him. That was something Vix was willing to risk everything to see come to fruition. 

He finishes his meal and takes a long swig of his caf, the silence drawing out between them as he stares down at the table in deep contemplation.

He hesitates, “I… want to have a funeral for Echo. Is that okay?” 

The request made both her heart break and her blood boil. To go through this kind of loss was something Vix was all too familiar with, and she wished she could protect Fives from ever having to experience this pain, this insufferable sorrow that had to be weighing on him. But he should never have had to be in the position to interact with this kind of loss.

It wasn’t fair; none of it ever was for the clones. 

They denied any real chance of normalcy to fight for a government they hadn’t even seen, one that could care less about their fatalities or the abuse these men undertook from the galaxy’s citizens. All of the troopers whose names she recited in her Remembrances deserved a life better than the one the Galactic Republic had offered; now unfortunately, that included Echo. She could feel tears beginning to pool in the corner of her eyes, but blinked them away before Fives could see. 

“Of course, I want that too. Do you know how you want to do it? Is there maybe someplace Echo always talked about visiting that we could do it at?” She fondly remembers Echo talking for hours and hours about various planets he and Fives had traveled to with the 501st, about which ecosystems he liked and disliked and the customs of each civilization. Now she can’t recall if he ever talked about people and places he wished to study and explore; how desperately she wished she could reverse time to ask him.

Fives leaned forward on the table and ran his thumb over his knuckles, “He always wanted to see snow, said it was the most peaceful thing in a war-torn galaxy. He talked about a place called Krownest, you ever heard of it?” 

“I know it’s in the Mandalore sector, which makes it neutral territory. That could work for us, that way the GAR isn’t breathing down our necks.” 

He paused for a moment, “Okay then, let’s do it,” pushing up from the table and immediately heading back into the bedroom.

A moment later, he returns with a datapad and hands it to Vix before returning to his seat. Taking the hint, she opens up the security access page to her private server and with a few quick taps on the screen, she has access to anything and everything a Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic could possibly desire. Usually an unused perk of the job, but now the perfect opportunity to help Fives get the chance to be human and grieve.

“Okay. We need supplies and a ship to get us there. If we head to HQ, we can pick up everything and leave before nightfall. I’ll figure out a way to cover for us for a few days.”

It was easy enough to transfer the ARC under her command and set up an alert on her file that marked her as ‘On Leave’, and after a minute of vigorous typing she had everything squared away for their impromptu trip. With a triumphant smirk plastered on her face, she pushes the datapad back towards Fives to show him her handy work. 

After a moment reading over everything, Fives slowly exhales, “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“And Vix? What happens now? With us?”

She definitely wasn’t expecting that. 

The mixture of Echo’s death and their mutual declaration of love hadn’t left much room for them to hammer out the details of their relationship. But it eventually would have to happen, whether they were ready for that conversation or not.

Vix stood up and walked over to his occupied chair, leaning back on the edge of the dining room table to face him, “What do you _want_ to happen?” 

He reached up to grab one of her hands and flashed a devious smirk, “Well I think it’s pretty clear you are stuck with me and I don’t blame ya, this face and this body? 100% boyfriend material.” 

_Boyfriend. I like the sound of that._

A hearty laugh bubbled up from both of them before she squeezed his hand, “Thank the Force! I thought I was gonna have to settle for Fox.” 

Her teasing comment darkened Fives’ eyes at the mention of the clone’s name, “If I ever see that fragging bastard…” 

She leaned over and pecked him on the tip of his nose, “Trust me, I would like a word or two with the Marshal Commander.” 

The holoprojector in the living room sounded off with an incoming transmission, and Vix quickly jogged over to the scanner to receive it; thankfully far enough away for Fives to remain undetected from the projector’s readout scanner.

The room was consumed with the massive blue form of Chancellor Palpatine, his elegant robes and usual air of regality shocking Vix with his sudden appearance.

She bowed sharply, “Supreme Chancellor, is everything alright?” 

“Of course my dear, Fox told me you took a personal day yesterday. Is everything alright?” An armored figure joined Palpatine from behind, helmet covering what Vix could only hope was a Marshal Commander who looked embarrassed for tattle tailing on her to the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. There would be another time to rip Fox a new one for everything he had done, but right now she needed to focus on presenting herself as professional in front of the Commander-in-Chief.

She sighed heavily, “Actual sir, no. There was a death in the family and I will need to take the rest of the week off.” 

She tried not to choke up at the reminder of losing Echo, the sob begging to escape her throat after realizing that she called him _family_. 

Palpatine gasped with his usual shock and bravado Vix had grown accustomed to and she noticed the Commander flinch away from her gaze. She didn’t know if Fox knew she was talking about Echo or an actual family member, she just hoped he felt bad for everything he’d done and more.

“My child, you have my sincere condolences for your loss. Please take as much time as you need. The Republic sends love and comfort your way, and when you return, do stop by my office so I can see how you’re holding up.” 

A sense of calm and reassurance washed over her, like a warm embrace curling around her shoulders and making her troubles disappear. Talking to the Chancellor always had this effect on her, one moment she is worried or frustrated about something and then it vanishes into thin air. She had in recent weeks been meeting with him on a more frequent basis and at the end of every discussion, she left knowing that he was someone who actually listened to her and valued her opinion; she was even beginning to view him as a mentor, a sort of father-figure.

She relaxed her stiffened spine and smiled up at the blue holo form, “Thank you, Your Excellency.” 

With a kind smile, the static image of Palpatine and Fox fizzled out of her living room. She headed back into the kitchen where Fives had hidden during the call, the clone waiting for her around the corner.

“Wow, you are getting close to the Chancellor huh?” 

“Close’ wasn’t what she would exactly call it, she didn’t really learn anything about the man during their conversations and didn’t feel like their relationship had gotten to the point that she could call him ‘Sheev’.

_The Chancellor trusts you to make the right calls and wants your voice to be heard in the Republic. That is as close as anyone can get to the head of state._

She scoffed as she collected their dishes and discarded them in the sink, “I can’t lie, the job has some perks,” gesturing around at the apartment she had practically been gifted.

“Am I a ‘work perk’ as well?” He crept up behind her and slid his arm around her waist. She turned to eye him, a sinfully dashing grin on his face.

“Maybe...I haven’t decided yet,” a light peck ghosts his cheek and she slithers out of his grasp, leaving him alone to blush while she begins packing.

An hour later, they sneak out of the apartment and climb into Vix’s speeder to head to the GAR headquarters. Most of the supplies they need lie ahead in the various supply closets and storage facilities down in the cellars of the complex, with Vix having only brought one bag from home and Fives only bringing the armor on his back.

She lands the speeder in the garage port and they automatically reassume the roles of Commander and ARC trooper the moment they step foot on GAR property. There is no Vix, there is no Fives, and there is without a doubt no signs of a romantic relationship between the two of them. 

Now, only Commander Phera and ARC-27-5555 walk briskly side-by-side through the complex down to the supply rooms where camping gear, unmarked weapons, and winter clothes await them. Troopers in all colors and uniform stylings offer salutes to the two as they move swiftly through the hallways; looks of awe and envy at the ARC armor and mixed gazes of fear and lust towards the stoic Commander.

Having insisted on carrying all the gear, Fives now has both arms draped in heavy canvas bags as he chases after Vix towards the main hangar. With a quick scan of the unmarked vehicles in their possession, she settles on a G9 Rigger-class light freighter that lies on the edge of the room, far away from any possible prying eyes of the nearby clone pilots or mechanics. The ramp lowers for them and the bags are quickly discarded in the cargo hold as they rush to the main cabin.

Jumping into the pilot’s chair with Fives right beside her, they commandeer the ship and lift off of the tarmac; shooting upwards into the Coruscanti sky with a quick thrust of the engines. The hustle and bustle of the Galactic City stretches farther and farther away from them as they break atmosphere and settle alongside the multitude of ever-present Republic fleet that guards the capital world.

Fives inputs the coordinates to Krownest and swivels his chair to face Vix, a tear creeping down his cheek with more dancing on his dark lashes. She reaches up and gently swipes the tear away with her thumb, cupping his cheek and offering a sympathetic nod as she grips the hyperdrive lever.

The moment they make the jump to hyperspace, everything will become real. 

Echo will really be dead, Fives and her are really a couple now, and they are heading to a neutral planet to give the late trooper a proper funeral. If Fives was already struggling with the reality of the situation before they even left the core system, then she had no idea what awaited them on Krownest.

With a deep breath and a pull of the lever, the ship snapped out of real space and vanished into the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally the fact that they are together now makes me so happy! And I'm the one who made the terrible decision to wait 14 chapters until they confessed their love. You don't have to be mad at me, I'm already mad at myself for that dumb choice.


	15. Burying the Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hella sick so I apologize for any delay. Also smut and sadness are ahead, have fun.

The trip, while relatively a quick jump, had been taken in silence. 

Vix had remained at the ship’s controls while Fives retreated to the cargo hold to organize their supplies and change out of his noticeable clone armor. When he returned to the main cabin, now dressed in a hunter green sweater and black pants, his eyes were bloodshot and the occasional sniffle could be heard as he settled into his chair. 

Vix felt too numb to cry as she watched the flashing lights of hyperspace race past the window, now leaving Fives in charge of the controls as she shuffles into the back to discard her own armor and pull on a black winter coat; reminding herself to start introducing colors into her drab attire. She returns to her chair and bundles up in the warm fabric, sitting with Fives for Maker knows how long, as they stare out the window without a word spoken to one another.

The ship alerts her that they have arrived at their destination and with the push of the lever, the blinding lights slow down around them and the sky is replaced with a distant array of stars. The icy blue glow of Krownest greets them, layers of thick white clouds blocking their entrance into the planet’s atmosphere. 

Mountain tops peek out from the misty haze as they travel closer and closer to the ground, before giant snow-covered trees become visible in the ship’s viewport. Glancing around at the stark white landscape, Vix spots a relatively level clearing to land on the edge of a mountain and gingerly lowers the freighter down, feeling the landing gears sink slowly into the crunchy snow.

With the ship perfectly still, she can see the light dusting of snow dance in the breeze and the twinkling glow of the frozen fractals. The untouched perfection of the forest looked like something out of holosketch and seemed too peaceful to exist in a war-torn galaxy.

“Wow,” she whispered.

Fives leans towards the window to capture the beauty of the view, “Does it snow on Umbara? Or on Raxus?” 

If anyone else had asked her about her two home planets, she would have made sure they regretted their curiosity. But it warmed her heart that even when he was feeling the brutal weight of loss, Fives still wanted to learn everything he could about her. She made a mental note to sit him down one day in the future when his grief had subsided and tell him every little detail over her life, if he wanted to listen.

“I was too young to remember a lot about Raxus, and Umbara is a hot, muggy nightmare most of the time. But when I was on Kamino, I would sit on the windowsill for hours to watch the thunderstorms roll in and listen to the rain. I thought that was the most beautiful thing in the whole galaxy, but now…” 

He huffed in amusement, “I get what you mean, no wonder Echo wanted to come here so badly.” 

He quickly fell silent again, the mention of that name hitting him harder in the gut with every passing moment. She left her seat to join him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders from behind and kissing his shoulder.

She turned her head to face him, giving him a tight squeeze, “I think he would be happy to know that someone visited for him.” 

“I think so too.” 

Suddenly the ship’s alarms cry out through the cabin, the sensors picking up an incoming target from what seems like above their current position. Vix leans forward on the dashboard to look up through the viewport. Four identical figures rocket down towards them, the fiery glow of their jetpack stream tracking their movement through the swirling snow patterns around them.

“Kriff, kriff, kriff,” she whispers under her breath.

Fives leans forward to join her, “What are those things?”

“It’s not a ‘what’, it’s a ‘who’. They’re Mandalorians. Stay here, I’ll deal with it.”

Vix doesn’t give Fives a chance to argue before she runs out of the cabin, grabbing her dual pistols off a nearby crate and saying a silent prayer that the Mandos don’t want any trouble. She knew there was a risk of running into a patrol while they were here, but she wouldn’t know where their allegiance rested; with the New Mandalorians or with Death Watch. Either way, they wouldn’t take too kindly to the presence of a clone trooper who resembled the late and great Jango Fett.

The ship’s ramp slowly touched down on the soft white powder and four Mandalorians, two men and two women from what she could make of their armor stylings, stood at the foot of the ship. Their grey beskar armor plates were swirled with golden ink that flickered in the now quickly setting sun, and snowflakes collected softly on the barrels of the pistols now held up towards Vix.

A female Mandalorian shifted forward, “You are trespassing on the territory of Clan Wren. What is your business here?”

Vix took a tentative step forward, every gun pinned on her adjusting for cleaner shots, and slowly lowered her blasters down to greet them. She didn’t want to come off as brash, but she wanted them to know that she could fire when ready.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that these woods had been claimed by a clan. We mean no disrespect to the Lord or Lady of Clan Wren.”

“We? How many of you are there?” The female Mando asked.

_Shit. Way to go blowing y’all’s cover, you kriffing di’kut._

“It’s just me and my...partner. He’s in the ship, there is no one else.”

The Mandalorians don’t move a muscle, pistols still raised menacingly as a wind chill blew up Vix’s spin.

One of the males steps forward, “Go and fetch your partner. Now,” gesturing back towards the ship with both tips of his pistols.

Vix practically sprints back up the ramp through the cargo bay, where she finds Fives waiting in the doorway to the ship’s hallway.

“Fives, they need you to come out, but we can’t have them see your face.”

He quickly scans their contents scattered around the room and finds one of the wool blankets folded neatly on top of a supply crate. Grabbing the black material, he rips the cloth in two with his bare hands and hastily wraps one of the pieces around his head. When he has finished adjusting the makeshift headscarf, he turns back to Vix and dramatically swings his arms in presentation.

“I pray this works. Just remember they might recognize your voice so just let me do the talking,” she instructs.

Even through the thick fabric covering his face, she can feel the smug grin and dramatic eye roll he is sending her way, “Please, I’m one of a kind. I’ve got this, _mesh’la_!”

Vix wasn’t entirely certain if the Mandalorians would buy it, but she could at least appreciate the effortless suave Fives had when it came to quick thinking. He pulls on a matching winter coat and grabs her hand as they make their way down the ramp to face their welcoming party.

The moment they are in range, all blasters are readjusted on them and Vix can feel Fives’ grip tighten. The urge to fight must be tearing him up from the inside out, but for now he is doing a good job of fighting off the battle hunger courtesy of his genetic donor.

The female Mando walks towards them slowly, guns never lowering, “Now that both of you are here, I’ll ask again. What is your business here on Krownest?”

She needed to come up with a story fast, one that held a partial truth and yet could easily appeal to the Mandalorians. Luckily, she had spent over a year practically living and breathing Mando culture and knew of a possible way to get the squad off their backs.

“We are here to perform a _kote ky’ram_.”

The blasters once trained on both of them now were slowly being lowered as each of the Mandalorians shared what must have been stunned looks under their beskar helmets.

“You know Mando’a?” One of them asked.

“Yes, my partner is of Mandalorian descent and has taught me the language and about the culture.”

“ _Kote ky’ram_ is an old tradition, what does a _dar’manda_ like you know of this?”

“Our _vod_ was just killed in combat and always wished to come visit one of the homeworlds of his ancestors. We feel that it is only right to honor his memory by giving him a proper Mandalorian death ceremony, don’t you agree?”

The Mando thought for a moment, then nodded her head at her companions, “Indeed, I do. We honor the loss of your _vod_ . _Nu kyr’adyc, shi taab’echaaj’la_. What are your names?”

“I’m Vix and this is Fives.”

“He doesn’t seem like much of a talker.”

“Doesn’t seem like there is much to talk about,” Vix offers.

The female Mando huffed in amusement, “Well Vix, I will let the rest of the clan know about the grave site and we will do all we can to protect it. I’ll also give you a clearance code so that you may come visit the site anytime you wish,” she tosses a code cylinder towards Fives.

“Thank you, we appreciate your understanding. _Ret’urcye mhi_.”

The Mando bows her head in return, _“Ret’urcye mhi_.”

With a burst of smoke, the four Mandalorians take flight and disappear into the setting sun’s light. Both Vix and Fives race back to the ship and the adrenaline of the stand-off wears off as they both release their collectively held breaths once they get back in the cockpit.

Vix sighs in relief, “Thank the Force! I thought they weren’t going to buy it.”

“Same here. How did you know about _kote ky’ram_? And where are you learning all of this Mando’a from?” 

He grabs the end of the makeshift headcovering and begins unwrapping it, waiting for her to answer. She felt somehow embarrassed by the truth, she could lie and say it was just something she had picked up as a bounty hunter or just a perfectly placed lie. But in reality, she had been spending her free time learning about the _Resol’nare_ to better connect with her men, and maybe to better connect with Fives in the long run. She was prepared to divert the conversation, but a tiny voice whispering in her mind reminded her to trust Fives; he wouldn’t hurt her the way other people have.

“I felt like I had an obligation to learn more. If it’s important to y’all, then it’s important to me.”

Fives would never understand how hard it was for Vix to be fully honest. Years of denying the truth and protecting herself from harm has made it difficult to be honest. No, not honest; _vulnerable_.

He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses her shivering fingers, “I love you.”

“ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum_.” 

“See now you’re just showing off.”

“Maybe I am,” she responds with a sly wink.

He gives her a quick peck on the lips before he turns to throw his head covering on his co-pilot’s chair, “So how are we going to do the ceremony? It usually calls for a pyre burning and then a massive party throughout the night; two things we can’t have.”

“Well I figured we could do things a little differently, and I brought something to help us.”

“Oh yeah?” He asked.

“Stay here.”

She wanders back out to where their gear lies, picking up the only bag she had brought from her apartment. Fives hadn’t asked what was inside, and she’s glad he hadn’t, because she wanted the contents to remain a secret until they had arrived on the icy planet. He would either love it or loathe it, she had struggled with the possible reaction the entire trip, but there was no going back now. Out of the bag, she pulls out a helmet that was once given to her as a gift by a wonderful, brave, kind man who Vix had the honor to call ‘friend’.

When she returns to the cockpit, Fives’ eyes immediately trace the deep blue lines that trace down the front of the helmet and the faint quiver of his lip shakes the breath he so desperately is trying to hold in.

“Is that…”

“Yeah, it’s the helmet Echo gave me at y’all’s ARC graduation. I thought maybe we could do something with it,” she offers it up to him.

“I don’t want to burn it. I already saw him burn once…”

She remembers him describing Echo’s last moments and knew they could never perform the full death rite, not without making Fives relive the horror of watching his brother vanish into a wave of fire.

“I understand. Why don’t we use it as his gravemarker?”

His hand hovers over the helmet’s fin, his fingers longing to touch the plastoid but there is a hesitancy that Vix can sense. She nudges it softly into his hand and the shadow of grief returns on Fives’ face, now she knows why he was afraid to touch it. He cradles the helmet in both hands and brings it up to his forehead, a sob escaping his throat.

* * *

Now from the viewport of the ship, Vix watches as Fives trudges through the snow towards the edge of the cliff. She had offered to go with him, but he had insisted that he needed to do this alone. He had waited for the fading sun to be replaced with the powerful glow of the full moon, before he collected the helmet, bundled up as much as he could, and journeyed outside in the frigid cold of evening. Vix sat in her pilot’s chair, standing guard for the trooper, as he found a nearby fallen branch and stabbed it deep in the frozen ground, gingerly setting the helmet on top.

Fives crumbled on his knees and grew painfully still. For hours, he knelt in front of the marker, as Vix silently stood guard over him and prayed to any possible deity or all-powerful being that Echo could find peace. That Fives could find peace. That she could find peace too.

When the horizon became edged with a lilac hue, she left her spot in the warm ship to relieve Fives of his vigil. The forest was deathly still, no sound, no movement, no sign of life as she grew closer to the mountain edge. She knew by the time she had reached him, he would have heard the crunch of snow beneath her boots, but made no indication of her presence. Without a word, she coaxed him to stand and walked him back to the ship, placing him in the cot that came in the ship’s quarters. Pulling the covers over his frigid shoulders, she kissed his forehead and left him to rest after the physical and emotional ordeal of the night. Now, it was her turn to say goodbye.

Vix walked back to where Echo’s helmet stood, the sun now peaking over the distant mountain tops and the morning dawn flooding the forest with shades of orange and purple. She mirrored Fives’ knelt position and watched for a few minutes the forest awaken, seeing how breathtakingly beautiful and magical the planet could be even when they were there for such sorrowful circumstances.

Finally she finds the strength to speak, “Hey, Echo. Maker, this feels so weird. I just saw you a few days ago and now… It just doesn’t feel real. I keep waiting for all this to be just some elaborate prank that you and Fives are pulling on me. But I guess it’s not.”

She looks over her shoulders, feeling almost silly for talking to Echo like he is right in front of her and looking for someone that might eavesdrop on their conversation. But no one is there, and Echo isn’t really with her. Maybe he is, in some force-magic way that the Jedi could rant about to her another time. For now, she finds it somehow comforting to keep talking.

“I don’t really know what to say. I can only imagine what Fives must have said while he was out here. I guess if anything, I want to thank you. Thinking back on y’all’s graduation, if you hadn’t pushed me to confront Fives about our feelings, I don’t think we would have ever gotten together. Even though it was a shit show after, we’re together now and that’s really all that matters. I just wish you were here to see that. To see us be happy, to see the end of this war and whatever comes after. I want to spend the rest of my life with Fives and I so _desperately_ wish you could be here to see everything fall into place. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you, what we are going to do without you. I love you, Echo. I love you so much.”

The tears now streaming down her face leave an icy burn on her cheeks, but that pain pales in comparison to how her heart is breaking. So many men lost, when will it ever be enough? Now she has to add the name of her best friend to her Remembrances, what if one day she has to add Fives? She quickly shuts the thought out before her anxieties clamp onto it, as she reaches out and feels the cold plastoid of the helmet.

“ _Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_. Colt. Havoc. Hammer. Byers…” 

She lists the names that she has memorized since the Battle of Kamino. All her men that have died in a war that she couldn’t justify anymore, men who would never be remembered by anyone else except her.

“...99, Echo.”

She adds the name and leaves the helmet behind, reminding herself of another Mandalorian phrase she had learned from her Rancor men and one that the patrol Mando had offered to her earlier. _Nu kyr’adyc, shi taab’echaaj’la_. Not gone, merely marching far away.

When she enters the ship’s quarters, Fives looks less frozen now than he had before. The sweater and pants he had slept in are now tossed on the floor, the warm color of skin fully returning to his chiseled muscles as he lazily flips through a holopad until he notices her enter the room.

She sits down next to him, “How are you feeling?”

He shrugs playfully as he puts the holopad aside, “Better, now that I can feel my toes again.”

The chill of the morning air still ran across her goosebumps skin, as she started to undo the zipper to her winter coat and pull it off, leaning over to undo the laces to her snow-covered boots.

“Don’t tell me you actually miss wearing your armor,” she joked.

“I kind of do. Civvie clothes are so thin and loose-fitting.”

She kicks the boots away and stands up to put her discarded clothes away, “Yeah, definitely too comfortable compared to the crappy armor the Kaminoans designed. But I do have to say, you don’t look half bad out of uniform,” she adds as she returns to the bed.

He raises an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? Tell me more.”

“Hm, I don’t think I will.”

“You’re being a stubborn little mink, aren’t ya?”

Vix crawls up the thin mattress and hovers at Fives’ mouth, “Who? Me? Why trooper, where would you ever get an idea like that?”

She playfully swipes her tongue across his upper lip, and he pulls her into a deep, all-consuming kiss. The hair of his goatee tickles her chin and she giggles softly against his lips, as she caresses his sharp cheekbones and feels the angular cut of his jaw move with each movement of his mouth on hers. His hands travel under her shirt and drag up her back, before she pulls away sharply.

“Fives, we don’t have to do anything. Not until you’re ready.”

It’s not like she hasn’t thought about graduation night despite her best efforts, daydreamed about all the things she wants to do to his body, imagined what this moment of reunion could be like for them. She, like anyone, has _needs_ , ones that can be serviced with a quick hand and a clever imagination when alone. But now being in an official relationship with someone, she has absolutely no idea how to initiate sex or how to openly discuss it with someone, especially when that certain someone just went through a traumatic experience.

A small frown appears on his face, “Vix, I know you’re just lookin’ out for me, and I really appreciate that. But I can still be sad about everything and want you, I won’t break under the pressure.”

“I just want you to be happy.” She can feel a small tear trickle down her cheek, but Fives’ finger quickly stops it before it falls. He gently cups her chin and lifts her head up to face him, softness and love visible in his golden eyes that catch her breath every time she sees them.

“ _This_ is my happiness. Us, together. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she sheepishly nods.

Fives kisses the tip of her nose, “Good girl.”

Something about the way he says those words sends a shock straight to her core, and all of the uncertainty and anxiety she had a moment ago vanishes into thin air, replaced immediately with a devious idea.

“Can I do something for you?”

His brow raises slightly, “Sounds like you have something in mind.”

“Take off your briefs.”

“What?” He nervously laughs.

But Vix isn’t joking, and she is about to make him certain of her intentions.

“Take off your briefs and go lay on the bed,” she once again orders.

Confusion melts to realization as Fives slowly starts to piece together what she wants, “Oh, _oh_. Okay.”

He jumps off the bed and tosses his grey briefs aside swiftly, as she strips off the remains of her snowy clothes. Now they both stand bare in the cramped cabin, eyes exploring one another bodies, before Fives sits back down on the mattress edge and waits for further instructions like the good soldier he is.

“Relax Fives, just relax.”

She straddles his hips and leans forward to kiss his neck, her nails scratching up his scalp and coaxing a deep sigh from him that she feels vibrating through her soft lips. Her mouth slowly travels down his body, littering his golden brown skin with love bites that will leave marks for days. She doesn’t care who sees them, she wants everyone to know that Fives is hers.

Her hands ghost over his exposed abs, eliciting a chill across his skin as one hand wraps around his cock and the other pushes him fully down on the bed; his lust-filled eyes now focused solely on her as she sets a slow pace. His eyes flutter shut and Vix hovers off of his lap and kneels down on the floor, not stopping the painstakingly slow movements of her hand as she massages his shaft; making him only want more.

She leans forward and kisses the inside of his muscular thighs and his cock twitches in her grasp, letting go of it. Fives whimpers in protest and the sound of it is music to her ears; that she can make this cocky man turn to jelly with just a simple touch is positively sinful. She slowly licks his cock from the base to the tip and she can see Fives’ fingers dig hard into the sheets as his breathing becomes louder and rough. 

She doesn’t have a lot of experience in this department, more like absolutely zero, but just as she learned from the first time they had sex a month prior, there was something about their bodies that was just made for each other. Like a switch in her brain flips when she hears the moans coming from him and instantly she knows what to do to coax more of those sounds out of him. Taking him fully in her mouth, her tongue glides along his tip and tastes the bead of precum that rests there. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted and didn’t have anything to compare it to; but it tasted like heaven. 

Setting a slow pace and gradually going deeper and deeper, her hands now gripping his thighs can feel his muscles tense and tremble under the pleasure, as an endless mumble of curses escapes his lips. One of his hands unclasps the sheets and rubs against her buzzed hair, his fingers desperately flexing for purchase on her lack of hair as his moans echo in the cabin.

“Vix, I’m getting close,” he starts to pull away from her but Vix clamps down on his thighs as she quickens her pace, hungry and curious to see this man come undone from her spell. She feels a twitch in her throat as he comes, and continues to guide him through his high as she licks up every last drop. She pulls back from his cock with a popping sound and she takes a few deep breaths to calm her erratic heartbeat, but Fives has other plans.

He grabs her by the shoulders and hoists her onto his lap, the frantic hunger that once darkened his pupils now dissipating to something softer; more passionate than lustful. His thumb comes up to swipe a dribble of cum that leaks from her lips and gently grips her chin, closing the distance with a deep kiss. 

She remembers back when they had slept together the first time, and after devouring her pussy like a man starved, he had kissed her; the taste of herself on his tongue had been so overwhelming and only added to the nervous energy that hung in her bedroom that night. But now as their hands cup the curves and contours of each other’s bodies, and Vix can feel Fives’ still-hardened cock brush against her ever-growing wetness, she doesn’t feel nervous. She feels exhilarated and confident, like this was a dance the two of them had performed for years and years. She felt so unbelievably right and whole in his arms and as his hands crept further down her body towards his lap, her body cried with anticipation for more.

His mouth left hers to hover over her ear, hot breath caressing her neck as he panted softly.

“Tell me what you want,” he whispers.

One of his hands grips her ass, while the other travels to her soaked folds, swirling her clit in small movements with his thumb.

“Please, Fives.” 

That's all she can say as one of his long fingers teases her entrance, sending sparks up her spine. Fives grins smugly and shakes his head as he slowly inserts a finger and stretches her open.

“Come on, good girl. I can feel you’re ready for me. Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to ya.”

Vix tries to roll her eyes at Fives’ ever-present stubbornness, but the quickened motions of his thumb on her clit and the addition of a second finger snaps her mind back to pleasure rather than amusement. She moans his name sharply as her hands clamp down on his shoulders and her hips rut down on his lap instinctively. 

“Please, Fives. I need you inside me, please.”

Vix would never have considered herself a beggar, but right now the promise of feeling him inside her and the connection they share igniting makes her plea to him sound desperate and overwhelming.

“Anything for you, Vix’ika.”

With a hand around her waist, he coaxes her to sit up and lean against his chest, as the hand that was nestled between her legs vanishes; a small groan of annoyance escaping her lips. He lines them up and Vix can feel the pulsing tip of his cock drag across her ass and between her folds, teasing relentlessly at her entrance. She slowly lowers herself onto him, splitting her open with a delicious sting that travels up her core and shakes the breath from her lungs, until he is buried fully inside her. 

The look of ecstasy is plastered across both of their faces at their coming together, and she relishes the feeling for a moment before she starts to move her hips. Her movements are unrefined and slightly clumsy, but the moment she feels the tip of his cock brush against a spot that makes her see spots, she repeats the motions and finds a rhythm that has them both panting in mere moments. 

Fives’ hands wrap around her waist and pull her closer, capturing her mouth as he begins thrusting up into her hips. The sound of their bodies slapping together echoes in the durasteel hull of the quarters and the little vulgar noises that escape both of them only get louder and louder with each strike and the boiling tension in her core begins to tighten and constrict.

Her senses are overrun, the sounds, the smells, the intoxicating pleasures of his body in hers, all sudden become too much and she cries out, her legs shaking from the effort and the feeling of her cunt milking him sends pure electricity up her spine. With another thrust Fives groans harshly in her ear as he comes, and warmth pools deep in her core as they settle down and work through the last waves of pleasure.

They hold onto each other, too entrapped to separate just yet, as his now softening cock is still buried deep within her. After a minute, she finally finds the strength to peel her head off of his shoulder and lazily kiss him. A thin layer of sweat coats his face and his hair is mangled in untamable clumps, but he looks refreshed and lighter than she has seen him in the past two days.

“Vix’ika, you’re in a lot of trouble,” he pants.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

He chuckles softly, “I don’t think I’ll ever tire of fucking you.”

She giggles bashfully and kisses him again, now finding the strength to shift off his lap and lay down on the mangled sheets. Warm cum spills down her legs and it gives her a bizarre sense of being marked, being claimed by Fives. Definitely something she doesn’t mind.

Fives disappears from the room briefly and returns with a wet rag and one of their bags, cleaning them both off and handing her one of their packed meals before he returns to the mattress with his. They spend the rest of the day and night in bed, eating, making love, and talking about anything and everything and for once in both of their lives, Fives and Vix don’t have to focus on survival or war; instead they have their love. And for them, that is all they’ve ever wanted.

* * *

The next day, they fly back to Coruscant, leaving the bulk of their grief and anguish behind on that snowy, forested ledge on Krownest. Fives had some time alone with Echo’s helmet giving his final farewell before he had returned to the ship, and now as they pass the time chatting while the ship races through hyperspace, Vix notices a change. It’s subtle, almost blind to a careless eye, but she can tell a fragment of his soul remained on the frozen planet. 

He is laughing and sharing the latest gossip from the GAR, casually flirting as always, but there is a dullness behind his eyes now. Vix of all people recognizes the toll loss has on a person, but she doesn’t point it out; it won’t change anything. All she can do now is love and support the man in front of her, and pray every day that this war comes closer and closer to a victorious end. Only then may the loss of Echo no longer ache in the corner of Fives’ heart he once resided in.

By the time they touch down in the GAR headquarter landing platform, the city has come alive with the sound of afternoon traffic and the neon lights beginning to turn on for the nightlife. Vix plans to take Fives home, order some takeout, and try to relax now that the trooper isn’t on active duty. But when the ship’s ramp meets the tarmac, Marshall Commander Fox awaits for them; those ‘plans’ can wait.

“Oh great…”, Fives grumbles under his breath. 

The Commander rushes to the base of the ramp to stop Vix, with Fives hovering behind her in the shadows of the ship’s hull.

“Commander Phera, I just need a moment of your time,” he begins to explain as he takes his helmet off and tucks it in the crook of his arm. 

His usually trimmed hair is laced with untamed curls and the faint hint of a beard now grows along his jawline. Needless to say, Fox looked rougher than usual but with the landing zone empty besides the three of them, no one would be any wiser of the Commander’s condition.

“What do you want, Commander Fox?”

He almost reached out to grab her hand, but Vix could feel the daggers Fives’ eyes were shooting out from behind her. Fox must not have noticed the ARC trooper, and returned to the hardened persona he was known for.

“I need to talk to you, you’ve been ignoring my messages.”

Fives now stood beside Vix, his large hand coming to rest on the small of her back. She couldn’t tell if Fives was starting to get over-protective or was purposefully trying to flaunt his affection in front of Fox; she didn’t mind either option.

“Have you ever considered that maybe the Commander doesn’t want to talk to you?” He quips.

“Have you ever considered maybe sticking your nose out of other people’s business?” Fox barks back.

Vix holds her hands out between both men in caution, “This is his business just as much as it’s mine. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of both of us.” 

For the briefest moment, Fox almost looks too embarrassed to continue, but then his face hardens and Vix knows from experience that once Fox decides on something, he commits 100%.

“Fine. Vix, I’m sorry about everything I did and for lying to you. But I don’t apologize for how I feel about you. Someone like Fives isn’t good enough for you and I feel you are making a big mistake by-” 

Vix doesn’t even realize what’s happening until pain flares deep in her knuckles as Fox’s back slams against the ground. It was like some beast deep within her was awakened the moment Fox had dismissed Fives and took control; clearly thinking her fist was a better way to shut the trooper up rather than using her words.

“Holy _osik_ ,” Fives nervously chuckled.

Vix knelt down beside the Commander’s head, blood now trickling from his nose and around his mouth, “Don’t you ever say anything like that about my boyfriend to me again. Do you understand, Commander Fox?” 

Fox wheezed as he tried to sit up, “Kriff, Vix I-” 

“Trooper! Do you understand?” She snapped at the bloodied man.

Her voice scared her and Fox as they both flinched. It felt degrading to address someone of this rank and prestige like this, but her anger had far surpassed any sense of courtesy.

“Yes sir,” he mumbled.  
“Good, now go get that nose taken care of before the Supreme Chancellor sees you like that.” Vix stormed off back up the ramp to grab her bags and then left the landing zone without another word. Fives trailed behind her in silence until they found her speeder still parked in the garage and loaded it with their supplies. As they settled in the seats, he finally turned to face her.

“Vix, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do.” 

She could only smile as she floored the speeder out of the garage and down into the swarm of Coruscanti traffic. 

“I know.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also tags are starting to be updated for future chapters! I'm not gonna lie, some messed up stuff is going to happen so there might be some triggering stuff but I will try my best to inform you before you read it.


	16. Clouded Past, Clouded Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Fives Chapter because why not

Another day parted from Vix, another day getting shot at by clankers.

Fives could hear the distant roar of the gunship descending through the thick plume of smoke and debris, the seductive promise of rescue vibrating at his ears as he crouched behind a rock formation at the edge of the clearing. 

His mission to Empress Teta had run into a few unforeseen complications; mostly the platoon of battle droids that protected the spice mine he was investigating. But at least it proved his suspicion that the Seppie’s were getting involved in the drug industry, collecting the evidence he needed to support his sightings and slipping out into the darkness of the thick forested mountains as the droids gave chase. His larty ride off the planet was headed his way, he just needed to survive the spray of blaster bolts that were raining down on him as they destroyed the beautiful forest around him.

The wind from the ship’s engines shook the tree limbs around him and vibrated the dirt beneath his feet, its familiar roar screaming into his helmet before the protective systems kicked in and muted the audio before they reached deafening levels. 

The durasteel doors of the ship swung open and before he even could think about it, his legs sprinted for him towards freedom. Adrenaline was racing through his veins as green balls of light shot past him a little closer than he liked, but he could see the outstretched hand of the ship’s trooper beckoning him inside. They clasped hands and Fives was practically pulled into the ship as it soared off the ground into the air with a gut-wrenching vertical climb that left the ARC clinging to the hand grip and the other trooper in the main cabin. He could feel the ship violently shake as the rear gunner sent waves of bolts down on the poor droids, and peeked out the slatted doors to see the crater where the platoon once stood and the now growing fire that swept through the treeline towards the direction of the mine.

_Good, hopefully that stink hole will blow up and the Seppies won’t have their drugs to ruin more lives in the galaxy. I think Vix’ika will be pleased with the results._

He smiled to himself as the ship sealed the cabin and broke the atmosphere, before the other trooper in the cabin nudged his elbow. Fives took in the stark white armor standing next to him, trying to figure out if the trooper was a shiny or had simply gotten the new phase of armor like everyone else. Probably both.

“Sir, a transmission from Commander Tano,” the clone informed.

He held out a small projector, and the small figure of the teenaged Togruta stood before him. She had her arms folded loosely across her chest and her eyes lit up the moment he saw her.

“Well, tough guy. Heard you needed some rescuing, were the droids too much for the ARC to handle?”

Fives pridefully scoffed and rested his hands high on his hips, puffing out his chest dramatically.

“Why Commander Tano, I was busy playing around with the Seppies and thought you would appreciate the invitation to join in.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, “I’m glad you’re safe, Fives.”

“Me too, kid.”

“When you land on the cruiser, stay in the hangar. We are preparing to return to Coruscant to refuel and replenish, so we’ll drop you off but it’s super early there, so don’t expect a big welcome party.”

Fives gave a half-hearted salute and the transmission cut out right as the gunship levels itself and slowly lowers onto the hangar floor. The other trooper in the cabin opens the main doors and hops out, leaving Fives to scan the large platform for any familiar face.

He had only been away from Coruscant for a week, but in that time the armor change must have already been implemented, as every trooper in his vicinity was now clad in the new armor that Vix had designed. His _girlfriend_.

Being away from her had been hard, but they had agreed that him spending too much time under her direct supervision on Coruscant would be suspicious. Now that they had been together for a few months, they both figured assigning him to solo missions in nearby core systems would give them enough of a break to not be under the watchful eye of the GAR, but keep him close enough that Vix doesn’t have to worry. This mission had been particularly grueling, as his comm system only worked on a frequency used by the Republic fleet and couldn’t be used for _personal_ use, so a full week had gone by without a word from her. But the radio silence had given him time to think back on the past few months of their relationship and help him realize how deeply in love he was with her.

When they had returned from Krownest, it was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning of their relationship on how it would actually...work. She was a high ranking, Republic-contracted Commander in charge of the entire Special Forces division in the GAR, and receiving special favor from the Supreme Chancellor himself. He was… definitely none of those things. 

But besides those startling contrasts in their military careers, he was a clone and she was a civilian; their relationship alone was illegal and would spell personal and career ruin for Vix, not to mention the threat of decommissioning for Fives. So once they agreed on how to hide their relationship in plain sight, it seemed easy enough to transition from best friends to something more, but in truth it wasn’t.

Vix had spent most of her life unable to trust anyone, and had found it difficult to trust Fives with being vulnerable and opening up. At first she would share with him small things; that her favorite color was purple, her favorite animal was the varactyl, and she loved glimmik music. 

Then it became deeper secrets, all which Fives accepted with open arms and a caring heart. He now knew the story behind every scar that littered her body from various bounty hunter jobs to street skirmishes in Umbaran alleys, that her lack of appetite came from living off the street and not having a regular diet, and that she somehow blamed herself for the way her father abandoned her all those years ago. Every time she would share a piece of her past with him, without fail, she would ask if he still loved her. And every time, without fail, he would tell her how much his love for her grew every passing second. 

Now as he sits on a nearby crate, he watches the freshly painted armor of his 501st and 212th brothers walk around the hangar in preparation for their forthcoming landing and can’t help but feel excited to see her. He opens one of the compartments on his utility belt and fishes out a small box, opening it and dumping the contents onto his lap.

Three identical medals shine back at him, each with a stunning red ruby surrounded by spotless gold plating. It had become a little good luck ritual for them with each mission; she gives him back the medals he’d gifted her when they first met, and she reminds him to ‘return from the war to give those back to her’. It feels like a part of her is with him now as he delicately rolls each medal in his gloved hand, reveling in the fact that these medals have tied them to one another from the very beginning. That might have been his true intention back in his cadet days, to make sure she held a piece of him in her heart, but never would he have dreamed it would work well enough that he now calls her his lover. His best friend. Maybe one day his wife and mother of his children. But those are fantasies that help him get through these periods of separation, at least for now in the middle of a war.

His thoughts are interrupted with the sudden shift of the ship as it touches down in the shipyard, and the large bay doors open to lower its ramp. Fives scoops the medals back into their box and reattaches them to his belt, double checking that the remains of his gear are still in his survival backpack before he pushes off of the crate and jogs down the ramp along with his brothers.

By the time he parks his speeder on the landing platform in front of Vix’s apartment building, the early morning traffic has begun buzzing above him in the invisible lanes that snake throughout the city. Fives hopes that she was still in bed and enjoying the quiet morning before the work day begins, but knowing Vix, she had probably pulled an all-nighter to work on some pet project of hers for her squads and trainees.

He typed the entrance code on her door and it slid open, revealing a warm glow coming from the direction of the kitchen. He snuck inside with the door shutting behind him and slithered through the foyer, trying to find signs of his girlfriend who clearly didn’t understand that most people were still sleeping even as the sun rested on the horizon.

Vix leaned back against the kitchen counter with a steaming mug of caf in one hand, datapad in the other, groggy eyes fixated on the screen in front of her. Her oversized black sleep shirt hung lazily off her shoulder and barely covered her upper thighs. Her lilac buzzcut, which was slightly overgrown from its usual tight shape, had a slight cowlick on the side from where her head had rested on the pillow all night, and telltale signs of sleep graced her face as she continued watching the screen in front of her; unaware of Fives now walking towards her. She was absolutely stunning, as always.

“Well, what a beautiful sight to come home to,” he purred as he plucked the datapad out of her hand.

Her sleep-deprived reaction took her a moment to respond, before she set her mug down on the counter and jumped into his arms.

“Fives! I thought you were on Empress Teta! What are you doing home?”

He chuckled as he wrapped his armored arms around her waist and slotted his face into the crook of her neck, “I completed the mission early and got my evac out. I figured this would be a nice surprise to start your day.”

He kissed the spot behind her ear that usually had her melting in his arms, but she nuzzled her head away from his lips.

“It is a nice surprise but as your SO I am a little pissed that you didn’t contact me. I guess you’ll have to be punished,” she accented the last word with a playful, yet sharp poke at his chest plate.

“Well, what punishment fits the crime?”

She pressed her finger to her lip, the gleam of playfulness and wit in her eyes Fives had come to both love and crave. “Hm, I guess you can have breakfast with me and tell me about your mission before we head into the office.”

“That doesn’t sound like punishment, it sounds like our usual routine. Or is making me go to the office even after a mission the punishment?” He loved this playful banter they had perfected in their relationship. It felt so natural and the words flowed like sweet honey off his lips as they relentlessly teased one another. Some might find it annoying, but to them it was their private little game and they both desperately wanted to win.

Vix scoffed as she shifted back in Fives’ arms to get a better look at him, “First, you make us sound like an old boring couple. Second, I didn’t get any sleep either so we are both in the perfect mindset to go to work.”

“I don’t think bragging about you not sleeping makes us even but whatever you say.”

“Fine, we’ll take a shower together but no shower sex. Punishment served,” she winked at him.

Fives threw his head back and clutched the spot over his heart, giving his best holodrama impersonation, “Oh _cyare_ , you wound me! When will this agony ever end?”

Her giggles were music to his ears as she pulled him back up, “Oh okay drama queen, keep it up and you won’t get your present later.”

He snapped upright, “Present? Have I been a good boy?”

Her nails dragged soft patterns along his jaw as she cupped his chin and guided his mouth down to hers, “I’d say so. But first breakfast, mission report, shower, _then_ present. Deal?”

“You drive a hard bargain, _mesh’la._ ”

This was the life he was bred for; not war, not violence, not anything for the glory of the Republic. Instead, sitting down and eating breakfast with his best friend, listening to her talk about her past week while he was gone and him recanting the glorious tale of his mission on Empress Teta. _This_ is what he was born to do. It was so tooth-rottingly domestic but he had never felt lighter or more whole than he did in moments like this.

Even as they stood in the shower and washed up in silence, it was thrilling just to know that even her presence added in the comfort the scorching hot water brought to his aching muscles and his tired mind. Vix eventually left him to shave at the sink while she began to pull her armor pieces and clothing out for the day, laying each piece out on the bed. 

From the slightly fogged mirror, Fives had the perfect viewpoint to sneak a look as she dressed. His mouth had kissed and bitten every scar, his hands had roamed up and down her taut muscles and gripped her lovable curves. His head has been buried between her thighs and her breasts more times than he could possibly recall, and an odd sense of insecurity shadowed across his mind.

_She is so beautiful, so strong, so unbelievably good. Am I enough for her? Will I ever be?_

“Keep your eyes on the razor, trooper,” her voice teased from the bedroom.

Fives shook away the thoughts and felt his ears redden from the teasing as he finished trimming his facial hair and cleaned up everything before he wrapped himself in a towel and left the warmth of the bathroom. His armor, which he distinctly remembered stacking neatly on the floor over on his side of the bed, was nowhere to be seen. A quick scan of the room showed no sign of the kit and he leaned out of the bedroom door, hearing Vix make noise somewhere else in the apartment.

“Hey, Vix’ika? Where did you put my armor?”

“What armor? Oh, are you talking about the armor that is in my closet?” Her voice distantly echoed from the other room.

Turning to face the closet, he slid the door open and stacked neatly on the floor was a set of ARC-grade plastoid with the new modifications Vix had designed for the new phase of clone trooper armor. But the longer he looked at it, the more he realized how similar it was to his kit, _extremely_ similar.

The Rishi eel marking shined in bright blue paint on the forehead of the new helmet, the bright ruby eyes of the beast staring up at Fives as he grabbed it and examined the artwork. Two small arms curled around his waist and squeezed him tightly, and the warmth and smell that was distinctly Vix cocooned around him.

“You did this, for me?” He sheepishly asked.

She squeezed even tighter, “Of course, Fives. Look at the inside of the chest plate.”

She lets go of him as he bends down to collect the pieces of the armor and place them all on the bed, rummaging through the set until he finds the main chest plate and flips it over. In the corner that rested above his heart, four names were etched deep into the armored material; Droidbait, Cutup, Hevy, and Echo.

His fingers smoothed over the grooves of their names and his vision began to blur with rising tears. No matter how long it had been since their deaths, it still wasn’t any easier to be the last one in Domino squad to survive. And it probably never would.

“Vix, I don’t know what to say,” his finger lingering over Echo’s name for a moment.

Vix intertwined their fingers and leaned against his arm, “You don’t have to say anything. I just hope you know that your brothers are watching out for you and are keeping you safe so you return home to me.”

All he could do, all he had the strength to do in the wake of old memories and grief, was hug Vix tightly and pray to any God listening that they protect this selfless woman who was absolutely too good for him. Words of gratitude wouldn’t be strong enough to express his thanks for the new armor, for the memorial, or for how lucky he is to have someone like her in his life.

He finally released her and blinked away the tears that collected in his lashes. “That reminds me, the medals are in the old belt.”

Vix disappears to where Fives assumes she stashed the old armor and a moment later returns with the small box. She pulls out his new utility belt from the pile and places it in one of the multitude of compartments that rests on it.

“I added an extra compartment on your utility belt just to hold these. I figured you wouldn’t mind the extra weight,” she offered.

Fives smiled and pulled her in for a quick kiss, “ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum_.”

“I love you too.”

The moment the apartment door shuts behind them, the masks of ARC 27-5555 and Commander Vixus Phera are on full display for everyone to see. They were not a young couple in love leaving their shared apartment for a long day of work. All of the residents in the complex and those they passed as they flew in the speeder towards the GAR headquarters would only see a deadly super soldier escorting a high-ranking Commander to work as a security detail. Nothing more, nothing less.

Having been stationed here for almost a year, she had finally been given a private office away from the Coruscant Guard sector and spent most of her time sitting quietly at her desk tackling a never-ending supply of paperwork. Training groups were becoming sparse as the war dragged on, and she had found herself working more and more in the office than Fives would have expected. But then again on days he wasn’t off on some daring solo mission, he would usually sit at her desk and help her tackle the forms and reports that unfortunately kept the Grand Army of the Republic up and running.

They entered the small office, void of any natural lighting or semblance of warmth, and sat in their respective seats across from one another at her desk. The office oddly reminded him of the same room the Rancor Battalion had claimed back in Tipoca City, with the stark white walls and bland style that Fives now equated to represent bureaucracy. Vix turns on her computer terminal and opens up the various tabs and windows that contain the work needed to be completed throughout the day, scanning through what seems like a lengthy list.

“Do you want to do armor inventory first or do a surprise drop in on the Corrie?” She asked.

Fives absent-mindedly flipped through the new settings on his HUD as he started calibrating his new armor to better suit his preferences.

“You mean boring clerical work or seeing the _vode_ piss themselves when they see you? Definitely the latter.”

“Hey, I’m not that intimidating!” Vix whined from her chair.

“No, you are. But while most men find it scary, I find it to be incredibly sexy,” he took the helmet off as it finished running diagnostics and winked at her. Vix crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, studying him intently with her narrowed blue eyes.

“Hm, nice save. You should be lucky all of our Commandos are off-world, they are definitely scarier than me.” 

“ _Our_ Commandos? I didn’t realize I became a _buir_ all of a sudden.”

As soon as he let the word for ‘parent’ slip out, both him and Vix stiffened in their seats. They hadn’t had that ‘talk’ yet about having kids, and right now cracking jokes probably wasn’t the best way to introduce that topic of discussion. Fives goes to open his mouth as the office door slides open and a boy nervously shuffles into the room.

“Wow, I guess I really did become a buir,” Fives huffed.

It was a clone cadet, maybe five biologically going on preteen physically, with fluffy black hair covered in wild curls and a twinkle in his eye that Fives recognized as ‘adventurous’. On the lapel of his blue and red uniform was a clearance pass, marked with the words ‘visitor’ in bold letters.

“Sorry for the interruption, I got separated from my group,” the boy said.

Vix blinked in uncertainty for a moment before she stood up and walked over to the boy.

“It’s okay, you just interrupted a stupid joke.”

Fives shot up from his seat and threw his hands up defensively, “It wasn’t stupid! Wasn’t my best work but…” 

Vix rolled her eyes and knelt down to face the cadet, placing a hand on his shoulder. All the anxiety and stress melted from the boy’s face and he seemed to brighten up in her presence.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“CT-9142, sir,” the cadet offered a quick salute then immediately returned back into his relaxed state, all traces of a trained soldier vanishing to reveal what he really was; a kid.

“I’m Vix, and this is Fives. Do you know where your brigade was headed?” Vix asked.

“The training center, sir. Commander Fox is hosting a demonstration for us.” 

Vix looked over her shoulder and shot Fives a very amused look, before she stood up.

“Well as it so happens, we were headed that way,” she offers her hand to the boy.

The kid stares at the outstretched hand for a minute before he cautiously reaches out and touches her fingers. Fives can’t recall if he had ever been offered to hold the hand of a trainer or caregiver when he was a cadet, and only now realizes how foreign this gesture might be for the boy. But Vix makes no indication of any wrongdoing and guides the boy out of the office with as much ease as a mother walking with her son.

Fives follows after them and keeps up the rear as they travel down the catacomb-like hallways that snake through the headquarters, all the while listening to Vix talk to CT-9142 like an old friend. She asked him about his day, what he thought of Coruscant, what his batchmates were like, and many other questions Fives realized no one had cared to ask him as a kid. But Vix _cared_. She genuinely seemed interested in the boy and didn’t talk down to him like so many of the old training sergeants usually did, she talked to him like an equal.

By the time they reached the Coruscant Guard’s sector, the cadet was too busy describing a holofilm some of the older boys had smuggled into the barracks to see his youth brigade whisper among themselves about his sudden arrival with Vix and Fives.

Commander Fox stood off to the side talking with Stone and Thorn, but the moment he saw Vix he approached them. With the new armor, Fox had transitioned to an almost all-red paint job, shined to a perfect polish and dotted with crisp white lines that seemed ‘all-flash’, but gave the man a more menacing look that he previously had.

“Troopers, attention!”

Since Vix had appropriately told Fox where to stick it months prior, their relationship was strictly professional and no longer could be classified as ‘friendly’. In brief moments Fives could still see the linger gaze or stiffening spine of Fox whenever Vix was present, but with the swish of his blue and grey kama and an innocent touch of Vix’s arm or shoulder, Fives reminded the Marshal Commander that she was off the market.

“At ease, men. Fives, our new friend, and I thought we would stop in on your little training demonstration. If that is alright with you, Commander Fox.”

“Of course, sir,” Fox gruffed then returned to his fellow commanders.

The clone sergeant of the youth brigade quickly stepped forward and for a moment, Fives thought he was about to smack the back of the kid’s head.

“Sir, my apologies for CT-9142’s disappearance. He _knows_ better than to wander off like that. It will never happen again.” 

The cadet sheepishly looked away, but Vix placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“It was honestly no trouble, Sergeant. I can tell this one has the makings of an ARC Trooper.” 

Fives jumped in, “I agree, Commander Phera. Keep up the good work _vod’ika_ , maybe one day we’ll see ya in training.” 

The look of awe on the boy’s face and the look of remorse on the Sergeant’s face invigorated Fives in a way that slightly confused him. He almost rejoiced in the satisfaction of winning this random child’s approval, and it stirred something in his heart that he never felt before.

_Is this what it’s like to have kids? To have someone put their full faith in you and think you are invincible?_

Fives didn’t have the experience of having kids or having parents for that matter to understand why it affected him this much, but seeing the boy leave Fives and Vix to return to his group also pulled deep within his chest.

Fives and Vix moved to a distant corner of the room as an endless stream of Corrie joined them and stood at attention in rows before Fox, Stone, and Thorn at the front of the room. Fox began giving a lengthy lecture about showing the young cadets how to take out threats on Coruscant or something like that, Fives was trying hard to block out the harsh tone of the trooper as he barked orders at his men and the boys observing them.

“He seems like a good kid,” Vix suddenly said beside him.

They were far enough away to not be overheard from everyone else, but her tone was still a hair above a whisper.

“He does,” Fives replied.

“Were you like that at his age?” 

Fives turned a little to look at her as they stood almost shoulder to shoulder, and smiled a little as he thought of the comparison.

“Oh yeah, I’d wander off all the time on Kamino and try to explore the domes. I remember my training sarge not being very fond of that, but I just wanted to have fun with my _vod_. And I know we’re all clones, but that kid really was a spitting image of me.” 

She thought for a moment, her eyebrows scrunched down in deep thought.

“Do you think our kids will look like that?” 

“What?” 

Vix slowly realized what she had just blurted out and shook her head bashfully, a pink tone flashing across the tips of her ears, “I’m sorry, just forget it.”

Fives shifted closer and turned to her again, still trying to appear like they focused on whatever Fox was making his men do in front of them and not talking about a very personal and very illegal subject. But Fives needed answers and he needed them now.

“No, you said _our_ kids. You think about us having _ade_?” 

At first the silence between them was deafening, various grunts and yells filling the air around them from what he figured were various sparring matches in front of them. But it was merely background noise and distraction to what was occurring between the two of them now.

“Yeah, do you?” She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear but he could hear the timidness and hope that carried in her voice. A laugh escaped his lips and he was grateful to be helmetless now, so his pure smile could be seen by her in this moment.

“All the time. Have you thought about it before?” 

She stared ahead for a minute, watching the technique and form of the men in front of her like the good instructor she always was. But then she unfocused her eyes and her features softened.

“Well in the past, I honestly never really thought about having kids. I mean how could I be a good parent when I didn’t have any growing up? But recently, I’ve noticed it being on my mind more and more. I just didn’t know how to bring it up with you.” 

Fives shrugged, “Well, I never had a mother or a father, but I know enough about parents to know you’ll be an amazing one.” 

He meant it, with every fiber of his being he believed it. Just her interaction with the cadet cemented his suspicions, but Vix was so patient, kind, and good. She was as dedicated to her troops as she would her future kids, and she deserved a family who would love her and make her feel whole. He knew having a family wouldn’t erase the past mistakes her father had made or automatically make everything right in her life, but she shouldn’t deny herself the possibility of happiness and belonging when it would be so good for her.

She smiled at him and shuffled close enough to brush her shoulder against his, “I think you’ll be an amazing father. I imagine the war being over and us moving to some quiet planet, we do whatever we want for work and we live how we want to live. I think we would have a girl, maybe even adopt one of the younger cadets from Kamino.” Vix had never sounded so hopeful or light as she did now, and it pained Fives to hear how desperately she wanted this. She never spoke ill of the war or of the Republic but he had his suspicions. Now, she was laying it all bare and it was startling to think of their growth now compared to when they first met almost two years ago.

“I would spoil her, and you, with anything your hearts desired. We wouldn’t have a lot but we would have enough, and most importantly, we would be happy,” Fives whispered.

“I’d love that. It sounds like the perfect life.” 

“Do you think it’ll ever happen?” 

Her face turned grim, the happiness of her truth had vanished in an instant. He felt guilty, but it was the honest reality they lived in at the moment, and she knew this.

“I don’t know. We are close to the second anniversary of Geonosis, and the galaxy feels more divided than ever.” 

He nodded solemnly, “I guess even if this future of ours never happens, it’s nice to know you feel the same way.” 

She snapped her head towards him, tense and tight-lipped, “It will happen. It will. I promise.”

He had no reason to doubt her, but it seemed like an impossible dream. But then again if he didn’t have this uncertain future to fight for, then what was the point of surviving this long in war?

“Okay, Vix.”

Vix’s wristcomm peeped impatiently and she accepted the incoming transmission, raising her arm to hover near their ears.

“Commander Phera, the Supreme Chancellor requests your immediate presence,” the voice of Mas Amedda boomed out of the device.

“Of course, Vice Chair. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She deactivated the communicator and slipped out of the Corrie room, heading back to the office to retrieve his helmet and the rest of their gear before they got in their speeder and left the sanctity of the GAR complex.

* * *

There was something about the Supreme Chancellor’s office that always shot a chill up Fives’ spine. He had been here a handful of times, always standing quietly to the side like the good little trooper he was, while Vix received endless wisdom and guidance from the Chancellor himself. Fives was extremely proud of her; only few people would ever have the honor to hold Palpatine’s favor. But being close enough to the man where he might sniff out the truth of their relationship made the hair on Fives’ neck stand up on end every time he entered the blood-washed room.

Palpatine was too engrossed in a hushed conversation with a man Fives instantly recognized as General Windu, to pay any attention to a suited up ARC. But he took immediate notice of Vix once she entered the office chamber.

“Ah, Commander Phera! Please do come in. May I introduce Master Mace Windu of the Jedi High Council.”

General Windu had quite the reputation in the Grand Army and in the Jedi Order; whether or not it accurately portrayed the man, Fives couldn’t say. But the right hand man of Grandmaster Yoda was not known for having a sunny disposition, and Fives had heard General Skywalker grumble about the lectures he’d been given by the experienced Jedi.

Vix bowed her head, “It’s an honor to finally meet you.” 

Mace Windu usually had an unamused scowl that bordered on utter boredom, but now he seemed like an actual gentleman as he respectfully returned Vix’s bow.

“Likewise, Commander Phera.”

“Please, call me Vix. And this is ARC Trooper Fives,” she gestured beside her.

“General,” Fives offered a strong salute and felt the piercing gaze of the Jedi General roam his armor.

Palpatine beckoned Vix towards his desk, which acted as Fives’ cue to stand aside and assume a statute-like quality that let him fade into the surroundings of the office decor. 

“My dear, come sit down. We have much to discuss.” 

“About what exactly, sir?” 

Palpatine and General Windu shared grim looks and Fives could feel the sweat begin to collect along his brow from their silence.

“We have just received word that the Umbaran government has officially aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, following the assasination of Senator Deechi a few months prior and failed peace talks that have followed,” Palpatine cautiously spoke.

“This is a system we can not afford to lose,” General Windu promptly added.

Vix nodded to herself in the chair, “I agree. The military technology they are in possession of is too risky to fall into Separatist hands. What is our course of action?” 

“Most of the 7th Sky Corps is being deployed, as well as the 212th and the 501st. Needless to say, it is going to be a large operation,” General Windu said.

“Do you need any of the Special Forces units?” She asked.

“Yes, but not just that.”

Palpatine leaned forward in his chair, “I believe that the best chance we have to take back Umbara lies with someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the Capital and who has extensive military experience, and that just so happens to be you.”

Vix blinked at both men, “You want me to go back to Umbara?” 

If Fives was as tense as he was now, he couldn’t imagine how Vix was feeling at this moment. She had been abandoned on that planet, cast aside like trash by her father and treated like a mutt by the Umbaran people for being mixed with human DNA. She had only taken this job with the Republic to escape that hell hole and now they wanted to ship her back. If Vix wasn’t pissed, Fives was pissed for her.

General Windu shifted in his chair to face her, probably sensing her discomfort. “We believe with your military background and your extensive knowledge of the Capital, you and one of your special forces units can sneak past enemy lines and take out the Separatist leader in charge of the occupation.”

“Who’s the target?” 

“No-Var Castille.”

Palpatine turned on the holo-projector laying on his desk and the blue image of a man flared to life. He looked roughly middle-aged, with high cheekbones and a posture that exuded wealth and privilege; reminding Fives of a villain in a holo-drama. Vix tensed considerably and seemed to be holding her breath as she studied the image. 

Palpatine continued, “He’s a high-ranking member in the Separtist Council, and one of Dooku’s early loyalists since before the formation of the CIS. He has proclaimed himself as their new Supreme Leader and has combined his Separatist fleet with the Umbaran militia. I can not stress enough how dangerous this man is and how he must be removed from power; dead or alive.” 

“I’ll do it,” Vix coldly said.

“Splendid!”

Windu sat back in his chair, “You will leave in the morning with the rest of the fleet. ARC Trooper Fives, you have been requested to serve with the 501st under General Skywalker’s request.” 

“Thank you, General. We will prepare to leave at once,” Vix stood up and bowed to both men.

“May the Force be with you.” 

She practically ran out of the room, with Fives giving slight chase down the hallways out of the office and towards the exit.

“I knew Umbara was having issues ever since Senator Deechi was assassinated but I never thought they’d leave the Republic!” He casually commented.

Vix continued to march beside him, not focusing on anything other than putting one step in front of another.

“Yeah,” she tensely offered.

“You alright? Is it because you’re going back?”

She abruptly halted in front of the elevator and swung herself to face him, “Yes, but it’s not just that.” 

“Alright...what is it?” 

“No-Var Castille.” 

Just the way she said his name was full of such bitterness and scorn that it transformed Vix into an utter stranger standing in front of him. He had never heard her talk like this, and it only peaked his interest more into why this target was bothering her so much.

“Who? The Seppie?”

“Yeah,” she gritted through a clenched jaw.

“What about him?”

“He’s my father.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm literally so hyped for Umbara and all the pain and destruction I'm gonna cause. Also I'm honestly so grateful for everyone who has read this fic, it makes my heart swell every time I read a comment or notice the kudos. Thank you so much! <3


	17. Proceed with Caution

“You’re not seriously going to do this, are you?”

Their trip back to the office had been a silent blur, desperately trying to will the Force to wake her up from this nightmare. But the reality of the horrid dream was beginning to sink in, and she was no longer on the verge of collective tears or outbursts; now she was witness to her boyfriend’s boiling anger. Fives now paced wildly in the office while Vix slumped back in her chair, her arms wound tightly across her chest.

“I think I was pretty clear in agreeing to go that my answer was ‘yes’,” Vix snapped.

Fives yanked his helmet off and slammed it down in his chair, rubbing his face roughly as his breathing deepened and the tips of his ears reddened.

“This is outrageous! The Chancellor has no right to make you do this. You’ve already escaped that hellhole once, you don’t need to go back again. And now your father just so happens to be there? And he’s the Separatist leader in charge of this occupation? You need to tell them you can’t do it.”

Everything Fives was saying was absolutely true and she fully agreed with. The situation was unfair and made her stomach lurch to think about setting foot on that planet again. But it still didn’t give him the right to make this decision for her.

“Fives, I spent most of my childhood on Umbara trying to figure out where he went, whether he was back on Raxus or not. I don’t like the thought of going back one bit, but I now have the chance to get him.”

Fives leaned against the table, “And do what? Kill him? Vix, this isn’t you.”

“You heard the Chancellor, dead or alive. And don’t I deserve my revenge?”

_Why can’t he see this from my perspective?_

Her father put her in this situation when she was just a little girl. A _child_. To grow up without a home or a family and to never know what was so horribly wrong with her that made her father throw her away like garbage. Vix had spent every moment since then dreaming about finding that monster and making him pay for his crimes. It was starting to make sense now, only someone as cruel and manipulative as him could be one of Dooku’s pawns. And it felt like he was twisting the knife he’d stabbed her with all those years ago by returning to Umbara and laying claim over the shadowy world. Especially when she no longer lived there. But now was her chance to make him pay, and she wasn’t going to shy away from it.

Vix stood up in her chair and mirrored Fives’ position on the table, their heads mere inches from one another. She could see his darkened pupils and the vein that ran alongside his tattoo throb with frustration. She had been upset back in the Chancellor’s office, but now those flames had been fanned and she wasn’t going to back down from anyone convincing her otherwise of the mission; not even Fives.

“Maybe you just don’t know me, Fives. You don’t know what I’ve been through or what I had to do to survive. I was a bounty hunter before the Republic hired me, so trust me, I’ve done things I’m not proud of and I’ll continue to do things I’m not proud of if it gets me through the next day.”

Her voice was cold, hard, but rang with truth; it surprisingly sounded like the ‘old’ Vixus that once lived in the Umbaran Capital. That was a person long thought to be dead, but then again maybe they never truly went away. Maybe this was who she really was.

Fives held her gaze, his brows furrowed so tightly deep lines sunk across his features. He scooped up the helmet, shoved it back on his head, and stormed out of the office without another word, leaving Vix to crumble back in her seat with a shaky breath.

Maybe Fives needed a moment to sort out his thoughts and realize Vix was right about this. He’d eventually come back after he made peace with the situation. Vix already had.

The only thing Vix could do for the rest of the day, the only thing her body had the strength and mental capacity to handle, was work. She continued on autopilot, floating around the headquarters in a haze as she worked on inventory and filed reports, trying to get as much done as she could before she was deployed with the fleet. She had no idea how long the mission would last, so she tried to complete as much as possible, but it was difficult knowing what was waiting for her in a few short hours. And it was especially difficult to deal with when Fives never came back after he stormed off.

She wasn’t going to make excuses for him, but little justifications did stalk dangerously in the back of her mind as she finished up the workday and headed back to her apartment to pack. When she opened the door, the lights were off and the expansive space was empty of any other being, and Vix felt slightly disappointed in not finding Fives waiting. But she quickly pushed that anger aside and began pulling spare clothing and weapons into her bag as she worked her way around the apartment making sure she had everything she needed. 

The only squad not currently assigned was Clone Force 99, and after sending them their mission orders over the datapad, she found herself sitting alone in the quiet apartment, curled up tightly on the couch waiting for...something. 

What exactly, she couldn’t say, but hearing the sound of the front door slide open and shut behind her and the thump of boots along the hardwood floors reminded her that an apology or even an explanation from Fives wouldn’t be such a bad thing to hear in that moment.

“I wondered if you’d even come home tonight, or if you’d go back to the barracks,” she murmured staring off in the distance, the footsteps of the trooper growing closer and closer behind her.

A bouquet of small flowers swiped in front of her, the deep indigo petals glowing softly in their black paper wrappings.

Vix grabbed the bundle of flowers and slowly brought them to her nose. They smelled earthy and spicy, reminding her of the warm nights back on Umbara when the foliage around her glowed brightly and the planet became wonderfully mysterious and beautiful to her; a rare moment in her childhood. She had never been given flowers before, she didn’t really think she was the type of woman to _deserve_ a simple gift like this. But the gesture slightly dimmed the frustration that had wrestled in her mind the entire afternoon, enough that she was willing to hear Fives out on whatever he had to say.

“These aura blossoms are beautiful, thank you,” she awkwardly offered.

Fives slowly moved to sit down on the couch with her, resting his forearms down on his knees as he took a moment to wring his hands slightly.

“I’m sorry for walking out earlier. I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered.

A sharp retort danced along her lips, but she stashed it away for the time being; her quick temper and biting wit needed to be reigned in once in a while. At least when it was partially responsible for their fight earlier. _Partially_.

She sighed, “I accept your apology, but it was understandable why you did it. This whole thing is absolutely insane.”

He rested a gloved hand on her knee, coaxing her small fingers to intertwine in his as he studied the ridges on her knuckles. Running his thumb over them, it soothed Vix into a calming trance and she realized how tense her back was slanted against the couch cushion; trying to undo the tight muscles slowly as they sat in comfortable silence.

“Are you certain you want to do this?” He cautiously asked.

Vix contemplated the situation, trying to separate the emotions being dragged through the mud from this assignment and the weight of duty the Chancellor had unknowingly placed on her already strained shoulders.

“Do I have a choice? Palpatine himself is sending me, I couldn’t exactly deny him if I wanted to. But I need to do this not just for the Republic, but for myself. I can’t live the rest of my life in fear of one planet and one man.”

Fives continued holding her hand, his brows bunched tightly in the ‘thinking face’ Vix loved with her whole heart.

“Okay, then you have my full support.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Fives. Your support, _not_ your permission,” she insisted. 

The admission came out harsher than she had anticipated, but Fives didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, he nodded to himself and squeezed her hand tightly in reassurance.

“I know, I know. It’s just not fair, you should be allowed to make this decision for yourself. Not have the Chancellor force you to confront your past.”

“I agree, but I don’t think he has a clue what he’s asking of me. Regardless, it needed to happen sooner or later.”

His face suddenly turned cold and taut, definitely not his usually warm expression.

“Once you capture him and this is all over, can you tell me about him? And your mother?”

“You don’t want to know now?”

“No, because then nothing will stop me from laying siege to the Capital and killing that _shabuir_ ,” he spat.

If Fives was anything, he was protective. To most people, this response might have been deemed too shocking or too overbearing. But all Vix had ever wanted her entire life was someone who was _willing_ to fight for her. Someone who wanted to protect her, shield her, do all the things she knew she didn’t really need a man to do for her. But just knowing that Fives would go to those lengths to make her father pay for his crimes because he loved her, was enough to make her forget about their earlier quarrel.

“Okay, I promise.”

* * *

As the transport lifted into the crisp morning air and darted towards the direction of the shipyards, Vix cast one last look back at her apartment building now fading in the distance.

_What if this is the last time I’ll be seeing my home?_

She had lived there for almost a year, and while she would never consider herself to be a ‘homebody’, the memories buried within those walls held a sense of protection and comfort that she had never experienced before. That apartment was where her relationship with Fives had truly started and was the only place the two of them had to call their own. Now flying away from their protective bubble, she eyed Fives beside her, and a flair of unintentional panic struck deep in her core.

This mission, just like any other, carried the risk of death. But it had been awhile since Vix had seen any action, and things had definitely changed. Before, she was daring and bold, quick with a blade and blaster and even more reckless with jumping into the fray of conflict. She might consider herself to still hold those fighting abilities, but now, she had someone who needed her to stay safe, to come home to. It was understandable why the Jedi always preached about the dangers of attachments and _strongly_ encouraged the Jedi personnel to not develop relationships with their clone troopers. Hopefully, she willed to the Force, her own attachment to Fives wouldn’t be their undoing on Umbara.

The transport lulled to a gentle stop on the tarmac and opened the side doors to reveal the chaos that was the Republic shipyard. Every docking station in the massive complex was occupied by one of the enormous Venator-class Star Destroyers that Vix held synonymous with war and destruction. It felt like the entire army was running around the airfield, carrying munitions and supplies into various cruisers and frigates that would be shipping out with them towards Umbara.

Fives had caught on to the spectacle around them as he studied the endless stream of troopers filing into the ships around them, shooting Vix a worried look that had her double guessing the entire mission.

“This seems a tad excessive, don’t ya think?” He whispered.

“I didn’t realize the situation on Umbara called for this size of a fleet. I don’t really think the planet is worth it if we have to take the whole army with us.”

A trooper clad in white plastoid collected their belongings from them and guided them towards a massive cruiser the clone identified as the _Negotiator_ , General Kenobi’s flagship. 

Entering the hull of the ship and traveling down the maze of hallways towards the direction of the primary command center, blue and orange armor raced past them with little regard for one another. The air rang with uneasy and a hint of excitement for the upcoming assault, but Vix could only cling onto the fear of the mission, fear of the planet, fear of her target. She desperately wanted to turn to the man beside her, divulge her anxieties and seek his comfort, but in the presence of the Republic they had absorbed the personas of ARC Trooper and Commander; her fears would have to be unspoken for the moment.

The primary command center seemed calmer than the rest of the ship, but Vix suspected that was partially the product of the four Jedi who huddled around the main holotable; Cody and Rex present by their side. The two clones noticed Fives and Vix’s approach and whispered into the ear’s of their respective Jedi generals, stealing their attention away from whatever the force users were debating about.

A small Togruta spun around from the holotable beside a Mirialan girl clad in black and leaned against it, folding her arms across her chest quite boldly as they approached the group.

“Well if it isn’t the Commander and the Lieutenant!” She playfully teased.

Both Fives and Vix halted in front of the group and blinked at one another in confusion, trying to figure out if they were suddenly a part of the girl’s joke.

“Who are you talking about? What Lieutenant?” Fives asked.

General Skywalker sighed and gently pushed the girl’s shoulder, making her slip momentarily from her otherwise arrogant posture, “You ruined the surprise, Snips!”

The look of horror and embarrassment raced across the girls face and Vix found herself suppressing a giggle from the spectacle of the young Jedi.

“Oops, sorry Master. Sorry, Fives,” she sheepishly apologized.

Fives still blinked at Vix, a quizzical lift in his brow betraying his confusion over the situation even after Vix had figured out the announcement. Rex moved to face him and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder, slightly shaking the trooper from his incertitude.

“Fives, you are officially being promoted to Lieutenant and will act as second-in-command on this assault. Commander Tano will be with Commander Offee breaking through the Separatist blockade, so I need strong leadership by my side. Think you can handle it?”

Fives, never being one for protocol, grabbed Rex’s hand and shook it graciously, trying hard not to reel the captain in for a hug.

“Yes sir! Thank you, sir!” 

Internally, Vix was crying tears of joy and wanted to shower Fives in love and congratulations, but externally, she was the smooth, calculated commander she performed well as. She extended her hand out to Fives, “Congratulations, _Lieutenant_.” 

The new title purred from her lips and she could see his jaw tighten from the praise, before he assumed the persona of the mighty ARC trooper. This was part of their game they played, always acting professional and to exact protocol but sprinkling in the flirtations and saucy praise. No one ever suspected anything from their behaviour, and the teasing would drive them silently wild until they were safe behind their apartment walls to tear each others clothes off and fuck until neither could keep their eyes open from exertion.

Fives was catching on quick, “Thank you, _Commander_.” 

General Kenobi coaxed the two newcomers to join them at the holotable.

“So, Commander Phera. What can you tell us about Umbara?” He inquires.

Vix moves over to the control panel and inserts a datastick into the console. Various images and reports flash up in the hologram before them as a model of the dark planet materializes in the center.

“Judging by the information we have on file about the system and the capital city, nothing has really changed even with the new Separatist presence. But what you won’t read about is how dangerous the planet is. Local flora and fauna alone will likely be the cause for some of our casualties, as well as the advanced weaponry designed solely for the local militia.” 

She brings up several images collected from textbooks and resources made available by the Republic during her research. Hideous creatures and massive, glowing plants fill the room as the Jedi and clones around the table study each one before moving on to another.

“What is that thing?” Fives points to one of the pictures.

Blue vines swirl in every direction in tight coils around what Vix can tell is an innocent victim from the image. The body is parted slightly and rows upon rows of sharp teeth gleam against a mysterious light source found in the belly of the plant-like creature, illuminating the last moments of the prey’s life before it is swallowed whole by the beast.

“That _thing_ is a Vixus.”

Everyone in the room turns and stares at Vix, connecting the dots on the creature and herself, but none being brave enough to point it out. Fives, on the other hand, has no fear of the Umbaran Commander.

“Well you’re definitely prettier than your namesake,” he winks at her.

General Skywalker whistles as he studies the image of the Vixus, “Good to know that this planet was already a deathtrap before the Separatists arrived. What information do you have on their leader, Commander?” 

Vix types in another combination into the holotable and the images evaporate from thin air, replaced by the only picture the Republic has on file of Vixus’ father. She has no idea when the picture was taken, if he even looks like this right now. Her mental image of him paints No-Var Castille as the devil incarnate, so only seeing him via his capture will refresh her memory of his appearance.

“As of right now, not much. We know Supreme Leader Castille is a member of the Separatist Council, so we can assume once he’s captured he might reveal the whereabouts of other members. But we aren’t entirely sure why he was put in charge of the Umbaran takeover. My squad is currently collecting additional intel for our assault, so I’ll know more by the time I get planet-side.”

_You know why he’s here. Because of you. It has to be the reason. He has ties to this planet whether he likes it or not. Why else would this monster come back to this dump after all these years?_

Kenobi strokes his beard unconsciously as he studies the image, looking deeply troubled by the information, or lack thereof.

“This whole situation is troubling. The Jedi Council is aware that the Senate has approved the use of deadly force if needed to end his reign here on the planet, but we advise you to bring him in alive. He holds vital information that we can not afford to lose, and he may bring us one step closer to ending this war.”

Vix stiffened considerably from the order. Palpatine ordered him dead or alive, and Vix would absolutely prefer him to be the former. But the general was right, they needed to know more about his origins in the CIS and why they needed Umbara so badly.

Vix swallowed heavily, “I...understand, General Kenobi.” 

Cody leaned against the table, “You mentioned the local militia, do you know what we are dealing with there?”

She steals one last look at her father’s image and it vanishes with a few clicks of the control panel. Images of ships, weapons, and other various military personnel flash on the screen and the group around her noticeably tenses. The weaponry on Umbara was legendary for its unique design and deadly characteristics, the artistry in each blaster and tank taking direct inspiration from the bioluminescent landscape of the planet. It was both beautiful, cold, and alien in structure, with complex functionality and grotesque designs that made them seem more monster than machine.

“Yeah, the militia also serves as the police force on the planet and these guys mean serious business. Umbara’s main industry is military technology so they ain’t messin’ around with their blasters and cannons, and you see those masks they wear? They pump in a noxious form of spice that heightens their senses, so they become drugged killing machines.”

She points out a few police officers and militia wearing the masks, their sharp cheekbones and pale white eyes glowing in the drugged gases being pumped into their helmets.

“So what you’re saying is this will be an easy takeover,” Skywalker jokes.

His padawan jostles his shoulder, “Nothing we can’t handle.” 

“I have faith in our forces, but don’t underestimate them. Umbarans are a cold, malicious people and they don’t take kindly to outsiders, especially to anyone who gets in their way,” Vix sternly warns.

Kenobi lets go of his beard and folds his arms tightly in his robes, studying her face intently, “Forgive me, Commander Phera, but aren’t you Umbaran? Don’t you feel bad for speaking ill on your own people?” 

Vix quickly shakes her head, “I’m half-Umbaran but they are not my people, never have been. My people are these brave men who serve the Republic.”

Fives edges closer to her side, close enough to feel his warmth radiating from his thick armor. It cocoons her in love and admiration, saying ‘thank you for trusting us as one of your own’.

Skywalker winks playfully at her, “Now we’re talking! Let’s go brief the troops, we’ll leave you to plan your solo mission, Commander.” 

The four Jedi bowed and slipped out of the command center, leaving Vix alone with the three clones.

As she unplugs the datastick from the console, Fives clears his throat comically loud.

“Actually, may I suggest that Commander Phera get settled in first before she discusses the mission. She looks a little tired and might need a relaxing nap,” winking at her flirtatiously.

_What? I’m not tired, I don’t need to go to be-oh. Oh. I see what you’re getting at, naughty boy._

Vix yawned dramatically, “Yes, flying does a number on me and I need a moment to collect my thoughts with ARC Trooper Fives before we divulge any more intel.” 

Rex’s eyes narrowed and flicked between Fives and Vix, studying them intently while Cody shrugged and scooped up his helmet.

“Okay, we can discuss it later.” Cody offers.

They exit the command center and head down the endless network of hallways that live within the belly of the cruiser, all the while Vix and Fives shared small knowing glances as they walked down the hallways behind Rex and Cody. Periodically, Vix would see from the corner of her eye Rex peeking over his shoulder to study the two, as they cut the flirtatious act and resumed their stone-faced personas under the watchful eye of the captain.

Cody led the group to a door and keyed in a quick code before the door slid open, stepping aside to let Vix and Fives walk in first. Before Vix has a chance to pull Fives in for a kiss, Rex shoves Cody into the room with them and closes the door behind them. The small room barely contained the cot situated with Vix’s bag on top, let alone the now four bodies stuffed in there with it.

“So, how long has this been going on?” Rex asked.

Vix blinked, “I’m sorry? Rex, what are you talking about?” 

“Am I really gonna have to say it?” 

“Yes, because even I’m confused on what’s going on,” Cody said.

Rex pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, “How long have the two of you been sleeping together?” 

_How does he know?_

Vix struggled to unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth to defend herself, but Fives held up a reassuring hand and stepped forward.

_Maybe he has a good excuse._

“Well that depends, do you want to know the first time or the last time, because I was hoping we’d do it when we got here- Hey! Why’d you hit me?” Fives cried out.

“Because you’re being an idiot! You’re not even gonna try to deny it?” 

Fives rubbed the spot on the back of his head where Vix _gently_ smacked him, “Why should I? Rex figured it out and I’m a terrible liar, seems pretty obvious to me that I can’t fake my way out of this. And I’m not ashamed of us.” 

Cody and Rex stiffened, the mental alarms flaring in their eyes as they loomed over the two lovers.

“Do the two of you have any idea how dangerous this is?” Cody growled.

“Do you and Rex not know how this is none of your business?” Vix retorted.

Rex scoffed, “It _is_ my business when it involves people I care about. Maker Vix, you wrote the kriffing reg manuals that list out the punishments for this!” 

“I didn’t choose to make this illegal, I’m just the person forced to publish it in a book! And of course I didn’t know that I would be in this very situation!” She whined.

Fives grabbed Vix’s hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly, “Rex, Cody, you guys shouldn’t worry about it. I know that you think of Vix like a sister but I promise I would never do anything to hurt her. I love her.” 

Vix beamed at him, but Cody just pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slowly.

“Fives, I swear you need to shut your mouth right now before you dig yourself into a deeper grave,” he grumbled.

Fives saluted with a smug grin plastered on his face, “Will do, Commander.” 

“Fives and I have everything under control. We just need the two of you to never speak of our relationship and everything will be just fine. Okay?” 

“We can’t protect you if anyone else finds out about this, ya know,” Rex said.

Vix calmly nodded to herself, “I know, and we’ve made our peace with that.” 

The two clones studied her and Fives for a moment, their golden brown eyes burning a hole through her head and sending a chill down her spine that made her feel like a girl getting chastised by her parents. But these were her men scolding her, and she was much older than they were, regardless if they saw her as a little sister.

“Fives, I don’t trust the two of you right now to be alone so you’re staying in my bunk tonight.” Cody said.

“Fine. Bye Vix’ika, my little snuggly wuggly _cyare_.” 

“Move it before I demote you,” Cody snapped at the younger trooper.

Vix giggles and warmly cups Fives’ cheek, “Bye, Fives. I’ll see you later.” 

Fives winks and is practically shoved out of the room by Cody, before the door slides shut and Vix is once again trapped in the confine of her temporary quarters, now with two tense clone officers grumbling at her.

“Cut the bullshit, I can tell when you’re pissed,” she sternly orders.

Rex and Cody share a private moment with one another, seemingly having a mental conversation that Vix isn’t privy to. They slowly nod and Rex crosses his arms tightly against his chest as he approaches her, trying to look as intimidating as her favorite ‘Rex-y’ possibly can; to no avail.

“I just hope you and Fives know what you’re doing. This is dangerous, for both of you.”

Vix huffed sarcastically, “And you think I don’t know that? Look, I’m not trying to convince you that everything will be fine. But I do need to know that you'll look out for him. I love him, Rex. Always have, always will.” 

Her confession softens the two clone’s exteriors, she knows their protective demeanor is only a sign of love. But Rex is right, it _is_ dangerous for the two of them to be in a relationship. It’s just something that is less dangerous than them being parted from one another. Regardless of the consequences, it would always be worth the risk. Always.

Rex releases a heavy sigh and ages before her very eyes, now seeming like the battle-scarred soldier his military career has placed on his broad shoulders rather than the loyal, dedicated man she knew as her _vod_.

“I would have looked out for him before as I do all my men. But I will do what I can to keep him safe. For you, Vix’ika.”

“Thank you, Rex. That means more to me than you’ll ever know.” 

“Just keep it professional, okay? The last thing I need right now is to cover up one more relationship,” Rex mumbled.

Vix blinked suspiciously, “One more? Give me the dirt, Rex-y.” 

He realized his mistake too late as Cody struggles to keep his giggle contained beside his brother. Rex’s face turned a ripe shade of red that could be seen through the translucent blonde hair on his head, and he buried his face in his gloved hands.

“Oh Gods, you didn’t hear that...” 

“So the rumors are true about General Skywalker and Sen-” Vix started, but was cut off by Rex’s hand.

“Please Vix, I’m already stressed enough. Just keep this a secret and I’ll gladly keep yours.” 

Vix nodded, “I promise.” 

Rex seemed satisfied with her sincerity and returned to his normally caramel toned skin tone as he took a calming breath.

“I’m gonna go check on the men, I’ll see ya both later.” 

The blonde captain strides out of the room in a billow of his kama, and Cody briefly begins to follow before Vix clears her throat.

“Cody, there is actually something I want to talk to you about, privately.” Vix said.

“Sure, what is it?” 

He moved to stand in front of her, his curved scar catching the deep worry lines that run across his face as he peers down at her.

“I need to tell you about the squad I’m taking in and what our mission plan looks like for tomorrow morning,” she said.

“Okay, who are you taking?” Cody asked.

“Clone Force 99.” 

* * *

Sleep was impossible. Without the warmth and presence of Fives curled around her body, the cot felt unbearably cold and unwelcoming; hollow of any sense of love and comfort she had become acquainted with in the past few months. He was off in some distant part of the ship, sleeping soundly surrounded by his brothers in each of their bunks, blissfully unaware of what was in store the moment they touched down on the planet’s black soil.

Rechecking battle plans, analyzing intelligence reports, and pondering over the logistics of the campaign kept the anxiety she felt about returning slightly dominant, trying to replace as much emotion she was feeling with hard fact. She checked the chrono on her datapad and saw that it was almost time for the Bad Batch to arrive in the hangar for her quick pick up, from there, they would somehow sneak past the blockade before the main assault would begin. She had a few ideas on how to get on the surface, but any excitement for fooling idiotic battle droids was tainted with a nauseating sense of fear. And that was something she wasn’t used to.

Carrying her bag packed tightly with as much artillery and ammunition she could find, she wandered down to the main hangar and waited for the eventual sign of her squad’s arrival. Still early enough that the night shift had been making rotations throughout the ship’s hallways on her way from her quarters, she suddenly noticed how empty and quiet the hangar space was; scanning around for any sign of the troopers usually stationed here just in case. The distant entrance way slides open and an armored Cody strolls out towards her, accompanied by Fives still dressed in his black bodysuit and sleep weighing heavy on his eyes.

Vix dropped her bag at her side and met them halfway, flicking her gaze between the Marshal Commander and her boyfriend as she tried to contain her shock and confusion. She opened her mouth, but Cody calmly raised a gloved hand to stop her.

“I’ve sent the patrol on a quick ‘errand’ so no one is watchin’ ya. I’ll give you two a moment before I take him back to the barracks.” 

The beginnings of a smug smile grew at the edges of Cody’s lips as he turned away and walked a few feet to offer them privacy. Vix would usually tease Cody for his sly manner, but all she could think of as her and Fives clutched tightly to one another was how she could ever repay him for this moment.

She murmured in his ear, trying to stay in his embrace as long as possible, “Fives, you didn’t have to get up. I didn’t realize you’d have to have a babysitter walking around the ship with you.” 

Fives chuckled and pulled his head away from the crook of her neck, staring down at her with so much love and commitment even behind his tired eyes.

“And miss out on kissing ya goodbye? Not a chance.” 

He leaned down and captured her lips, pulling each other closer and savoring this short moment. She wanted to memorize his soft lips, the way his goatee tickles her chin, the breathless sigh he gave when they separated for air. Even if Cody had somehow messed up and someone walked in on their display, she wouldn’t care. The handsome face staring down at her made her feel invincible and gave her the strength she’d been lacking to face Umbara again.

“I’m also here to collect my good luck token,” he whispered, still hovering above her lips.

She separated from him and pulled the small box out of her utility belt, offering it out to him.

“I better be getting those back once this is all over.”

“You got it, Commander,” Fives winked as he took the box and grabbed her again, pulling their bodies flush as their arms wrapped around each other.

More than anything did Vix never want to leave his embrace, and the thought of parting brought tears to her eyes as she snuggled closer to his chest.

The breath caught in her throat, “Fives, stay safe out there. I need you to come home.”

She could feel his lips pressing gently against her buzzed hair as he cradled her.

“I will, _cyare_. And I need you to remember that this planet and the things that have happened on it don’t define you. Now go capture that bastard and show the Umbarans what Vixus Phera can do.” 

Hands softly cupped her face and brought her forehead to his, feeling her heart soar from his words and the affirmation of his faith in her, as they stood unbothered in the open space. 

“ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum_ ,” his voice solid and clear, ringing with truth in her soul.

She smiled, “ _Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum_.”

A cleared throat interrupted their brief moment as Cody returned to Fives’ side, scanning the area for potential witnesses.

“Time to go, control just cleared the shuttle for landing.” 

She kissed him one last time, not caring if Cody was privy to the display or not.

“Bye, Fives.”

“Bye, Vix.” 

Cody places a gentle hand on the trooper’s shoulder and guides him back towards the hangar entrance, Fives’ fingers slipping through her grasp as she wills herself to stay put, to be strong, to not come undone. His gaze never strays from her as he disappears into the hallway, leaving Vix alone to ruminate on the mission and the endless outcomes that await down on the shadowy world.

_What if that’s the last time I ever see Fives? What if something happens to him? Or me? How can we go on without the other?_

The mental torment she was afflicting on herself would only get worse as she spent more and more time on the surface, but a quick relief came from the _Havoc Marauder’_ s engine whining as it touched down on the durasteel platform behind her; snapping her out of her anxious trance.

The main door slid open and the stairs flipped out for her as she gathered her bag and walked to the base of the ship, staring up at the four men who crowded around the hull to greet her. With a deep breath and a fake smile to hide her nerves, Vix took the first step up the ship’s stairs and knew there was no going back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having to rewatch the Umbara arc over and over again to write the next few chapters is slowly killing me even though it's one of my favorite arcs.


	18. Umbara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: depiction of panic attacks and dealing with trauma. I'll do a summary in the chapter notes at the end just in case you need to skip ahead.  
> Also we got some Vix and Fives POV stuff going on this week!

_ Umbara. _

The moment the _ Havoc Marauder  _ broke through the atmosphere and became shrouded in the thick fog that draped across the black sky, Vix dug her nails deep into the leather upholstery of the chair as the hull of the ship trembled around her. 

When they had reached the Separatist blockade, Vix had heard the lyrical tones of the Umbaran language come from the scanner as they asked for the ship’s clearance codes. When she had sat up to interpret, she was stopped by Tech’s voice responding to the request, each word crisp and with the accent of a fluent speaker in the strange language. 

_ These boys just keep getting weirder and weirder. I love them. _

Tech and Wrecker now quietly piloted the ship through the haze while Crosshair and Hunter sat in the back with her, calmly rechecking their gear and seemingly bored by the turbulence. She tried to focus on the methodical way Crosshair scrubbed each and every minuscule piece of his sniper rifle, or Hunter as he twirled his vibroblade in the air, anything to forget the storm brewing in her stomach.

Hunter caught the blade mid-air and perked up, flicking his gaze over to Vix as she gripped the seat harder with another bump of the ship.

“Ya alright there, Commander?”

She tightly nodded, “I’m fine, just not looking forward to being back.”

The sergeant narrowed his eyes and the black skull that covered half of his face curled into a mocking snarl.

_ He probably can sense your anxiety, your fear. You need to get a grip and calm down. You’re their commander, act like one. _

With a labored breath she unlatched her fingers from the seat and sat up, trying to stay focused on maintaining the facade of the GAR officer she knew she  _ had  _ to be, not the frightened woman she was. 

Hunter still studied her from the corner of his eye, but mostly went back to fiddling with his knife as the ship leveled out and gently settled onto the ground. Tech and Wrecker joined them from the cockpit and started talking to the rest of the team, maybe even her, but she wasn’t listening. Couldn’t listen. The only thing she could do was stare at the ship’s still-closed door because she knew lay behind the durasteel panel.

She had to go out there, needed to, and yet the thought of releasing the doors and stepping out into the glowing forest made the room feel like it was spinning. But sooner or later, she would have to leave the safety of the ship; better to rip the bacta patch off now. Vix suddenly shot up from her chair and dashed to the door, practically running down the steps with her eyes squeezed shut.

The air was warm and brutally thick, coating her skin instantly with a thin sheen of sweat that made her feel unbearably hot and flushed. Her heart skipped a beat before suddenly shooting up in pace and she inhaled a ragged breath. It smelled of earth and musk, presenting itself as natural and free, but Vix could always smell the undertone that stunk up the planet’s jungles; death. The decaying scent startled her and she opened her eyes to observe the landscape that was once both her home and her personal nightmare. 

The  _ Havoc Marauder  _ sat in a clearing on the edge of a small ridge, the luminescent foliage being separated from her by the ship’s large wings, but in the distance she could see an unmistakable glowing pillar shoot up from the sky. The light illuminating in the distance bathed the nearby forests in pure white, and a clear pathway snaked its way from the light source all the way to the bottom of the ridge; seemingly peaceful and sacred in its magnificence and grandiosity. But Vix knew better than to view the Capital as anything more than a hell hole, and she hadn’t forgotten about it after all these years.

Suddenly, it felt as if the tentacles of the Vixus had slipped down her throat and wrapped around her lungs, squeezing them until her chest ached. No matter how much she begged, her chest refused to give way and the forest began to cave in on her. Hot tears began swimming down her cheeks and she knew instantly that she had made a mistake by coming here.

“I can’t do this, I can’t be here, I need to go,” she mumbled to herself as the dark foggy sky began to shift and she felt her knees begin to shake as she struggled to stay on her feet.

Just as she felt her body cave in, a gentle hand scooped her back up and turned her around to face back towards the ship.

Hunter grabbed both of her shoulders and leaned down mere inches from her face, breathing in and out slowly as she watched him.

“I need you to breath for me, Vix. Just breath.”

Her heart calmed its erratic beat as she finally gulped in a large breath of air, struggling to come down from the adrenaline coursing through her veins when all she wanted to do was run. To get back on that ship and get the hell out of this system. But eventually, the dizziness subsided and her breathing leveled out as a wave of exhaustion hit her deep in her core.

“I’m sorry, Hunter. I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened,” she sniffled.

Hunter loosened his tight grip on her shoulders before Wrecker scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into the ship. 

“I got you, boss. Don’t worry.”

He headed towards the back of the ship and went through an open door, where Tech now laid out equipment on three of the room’s cots, pointing at the only empty bed for Wrecker to gently place Vix on.

“Are you feeling alright, Commander?” Tech asked as he dug through a med kit.

She nodded, “I’m fine, just let me get up and I’ll-”

Tech placed a firm hand on her shoulder as she tried to stand, and guided her back down on the thin mattress.

“Vix, you just experienced a panic attack and your body needs rest. I’m going to give you a tranquilizer, so hold still,” holding a hypo carefully in his gloved hands.

“I said I’m fine, I don’t need a sh- OW!”

Vix rubbed her neck where Tech had quickly punctured the skin, and almost immediately began to feel better, the nervousness still present in her mind but much quieter than before. 

Tech disposed of the hypo and began digging through his various kits and equipment scattered across the room.

“You might feel a little sluggish, but I assure you that your mind and abilities have not been compromised. We have a few hours of trekking before we get to the Capital walls, so you should be fine for a while, but I’ll back more supplies for you just in case.”

Vix gave an embarrassed nod and slid off the bed, shuffling out of the room and back towards the main compartment. The rest of the squad sat hunched over in their chairs, staring down at the metal floor before perking up at her arrival.

“Better now?” Hunter asked.

She gives only a tiny nod and tries to slip past them into the cockpit, but is stopped by Wrecker’s large chest blocking her way.

“Ya know, Hunter has moments like that too. When his senses get really overwhelmed and he shuts down.”

Vix stared down at Wrecker’s boots, trying to shy away from the topic, and yet somehow eager to hear more.

“Oh?” She whispered.

Wrecker shrugged, “Yeah, it’s no big deal. We just help him feel better and then we keep going, we’re pros at it now.”

A huff escaped her lips as she looked up at him, his scarred face radiating warmth and understanding, not pity or sadness as she presumed. The rest of the squad circled around them and when she expects to see gazes of confusion or distress, she finds that each one of them still views her as before. Nothing pathetic or less than as she would have expected from the locals here on Umbara, but they still saw her as their strong commander, their  _ leader.  _ If she wasn’t already so emotionally exhausted she would have cried at the realization, but instead offered a warm smile and a moment with each of the men; whether it be through a touch on the arm or a word of gratitude.

“Now that you know that this doesn’t change our faith in ya, are ya ready to go?” Crosshair playfully sniped at her.

She took a deep breath and summoned enough courage to try again, to face the planet straight in the eye and not cower.

“I’m ready.”

Now with the tranquilizer resting comfortably in her veins, the trek through the undergrowth wasn’t as bad as she initially expected. Well, more or less.

Zabrak Spines loomed over their heads as they crept through the shadowy forest, their path illuminated by the glowing pink and red hues of the plant’s leaves. Tech had walked behind Vix the entire way, rattling off various facts about every plant they came across and the animals that were hell bent on killing them. They had run into a flock of Banshees early on in their trek and nearly got Hunter carried away by the winged beasts before Crosshair shot them down. Their cover had been momentarily blown, and they were forced to walk deeper and deeper into the thick fog around them to evade the possible Umbaran patrols that combed the area. Resting in a small ditch, Vix pulled out a small holomap and the large outline of the Capital materialized before them.

“Okay, we’re only one klick away from the city’s wall so let’s make a game plan. A group of armed Republic soldiers in black is too conspicuous, so one of you will sneak in with me and do some basic reconnaissance so we can pinpoint exactly where the Separatist base is located and where No-Var might possibly be hiding. Crosshair, I think you should be the one to come with me.”

Crosshair pops his helmet off and tucks it into the curve of his waist, “Why you say that, Commander? Think the boys can’t handle the job as well as me?”

A collective groan erupts from his brother’s helmets as Crosshair smugly leans on his hip. Vix shuts the map off and pockets it away in her utility belt, grabbing her pack and swinging it back over her shoulders.

“Actually, you look more Umbaran than a Republic clone trooper,” she pointed out.

The sniper stiffens as his brothers snicker at the remark and stalks away to the edge of their hiding spot.

Time was of the essence now, the Republic attack was scheduled to begin any moment now and soon the area would be crawling with Umbaran militia and Separatist forces. Getting inside the Capital before they stepped up their defenses was critical, and Vix knew if they didn’t capture her father, then the likelihood of retaking the planet, or even the city, would be nearly impossible.

Vix turned to face the other men, “We’ll go in, find some disguises, and scope out the place. When we find their location, I’ll send you the coordinates and we will rendezvous together before we breach their headquarters.”

Hunter casually salutes her, “Don’t worry, Vix. I’m sure we can find something fun to do while the two of you take a tour of the city.”

She rolled her eyes and headed over to join Crosshair before they ran off in the direction of the city.

Within a couple of minutes, the electric wall that cocoons the city became visible through the tree line, and Vix crept forward for a closer look. Judging from the heat radiating off of the electric bands that ran across the jungle, she knew one accidental touch would burn her to a crisp as she continued studying the wall. Crosshair dug his rifle into the ground beside her and coolly leaned on it as he studied the massive barrier.

“Unless you Umbarans can magically walk through electricity, how do you plan on getting us into the city?”

From the corner of her eye, Vix spots a massive Zabrak Spine leaning over the wall and notices that one of its long branches droops a safe distance away from the electric waves.

She nudges Crosshair’s shoulder over to the direction of the ancient tree, “I’ll let you figure this one out.”

Crosshair reaches for his rifle and slams the grappling hook attachment down on the barrel, aiming it up towards the tip of the tree’s trunk and sending the cable high up into the air. With a self-satisfied tilt of his helmet, he offers the end of the cable to her.

“Age before beauty, Commander.”

She rolled her eyes, “Are you sure about that? Your gray hair adds about 50 years, give or take.”

Not waiting for what she knew would be a scathing retort, she began pulling herself up the cable and eventually made it to the top of the tree. From her spot, she could see the entire expanse of the Capital, with its glowing roads that wrap themselves around the unique architecture the city is known for. It looks so utopic, so utterly perfect from her spot high up in the sky, but her experience living on its unforgiving streets taints the imagery present before her. A flash of light above her covered by the dulling blur of the ever-present clouds grabs her attention and distant noise of carnage erupts in the sky.

“Crosshair, the attack on the blockade is starting, we need to hurry up!” She calls down to the clone as he scoots up the cable.

Vix shuffles closer to the extended tree branch and slides her way down the bark, as the limb gives way and gently lowers her past the wall and down onto the ground of the Capital. A moment later, Crosshair joins her and they scurry down the small clearing that separates the wall from the city, before they are bathed in the white glow of the buildings around them. 

Based on what Vix could tell, it was about mid-morning in the city. And yet the streets were eerily empty, usually filled with Umbarans leisurely enjoying the perfection of the city and not having a care in their white-eyed heads of theirs. ‘Refined’ would be one way of describing her people, more like ‘pompous assholes’ based on how they treated her like scum during her time on the planet surface. Their society was based solely on out-dated caste systems that focused on weeding out imperfections, and if there was one thing Vix learned about from being a mixed-race individual in this utopia, it was that she was the lowest of the low.  _ Defective _ . They would use any chance they got when she was caught scavenging for food or begging for spare change as a little girl to stop what they were doing and remind her of her lowly place in this perfect world. So Vix figured even with the threat of the impending Republic assault on the planet, the Capital elite would have forgone hunkering down in some stuffy bunker to instead pretend that nothing was wrong and continue on with daily life. 

_ The fact that no one is on the streets means something is wrong.  _ Really _ wrong. _

Crosshair and Vix scurried alongside the vacant sidewalks and headed towards the center of town, traveling deeper and deeper, and still no sign of any civilians. A shot rang out in the distance and they ducked into a storefront alcove, holding their breath for further enemy fire. But it never came.

“That was the sound of an E-5 rifle, battle droids must be nearby,” Crosshair’s vocabulator whispered, his helmet peeking around the corner to see the street still abandoned.

Vix gripped the handle of her blaster tightly and slipped out of their hiding spot, chasing alongside the stark white durasteel buildings towards the origin of the noise. Movement caught her eye from an upcoming intersection, as a platoon of B1s marched down the street, and they ducked into another alcove. The droids continued growing closer and closer to their hiding spot, the echoing clang of their metal feet bouncing off the high rises and skyscrapers that surrounded them.

“There is no sign of any organic life forms, Sergeant. Do you think it was a mistake?” 

Vix strains to hear the high-pitched voice of one of the droids as they continue their march.

“Impossible. Photo recognition identified that Republic Commander Vixus Phera had been spotted near the city perimeter. The Supreme Leader wants her alive,” another droid calls out.

_ He knows. He knows I’m here. He knows I’m looking for him.  _

Vix spun around and grabbed Crosshair by the shoulders, “He knows I’m here, I’ve compromised the whole mission.”

“Maybe next time you should think about wearing a helmet to hide your face,” Crosshair quips.

Vix shoves him back lightly, “I’m being serious, Crosshair! We’ve lost the element of surprise and the entire fleet is depending on us to capture this asshole for our assault to work.”

“You haven’t compromised anything, Commander. We can use this to our advantage.”

“How so?” She asked.

Crosshair studied her for a moment before slowly slipping his helmet off, his face contorted in a cocky, yet cautious look.

“If the droids are looking for you, that means that they might take you straight to the target.”

She blinked at him for a moment, “You want me to turn myself in?”

Crosshair shrugged, “Seems like the best option. If the droids find you and stop patrolling the streets, I can follow after ya and find out where their base is. I’ll contact the boys and have them take out the 'tinnies' while you work on getting the ‘Supreme Leader’ to cooperate.”

_ Damn, that’s actually a good plan. Too bad I didn’t think of it... _

Vix sighs heavily and playfully pats Crosshair’s cheek, “I swear you boys are gonna age me by a decade before this mission is over.” 

The trooper only offers a wink and shoves his helmet back over his head, waiting for Vix to make her move. The sound of the clanking droids grows closer and closer and with a prayer to the Maker, the Force, Ashla, anyone who was willing to watch her stupidity unfold before them, as she stepped out into the street and surrendered herself to the Separatist Alliance.

* * *

Even through the sensors blocking out the deafening cries of blaster fire and overhead aircraft battling it out in the foggy darkness, Fives could still hear the screams. The moment he had stepped foot onto the black soil of Umbara, the screams of death rang harshly in his ears as he sprang into action and tailed General Skywalker and Rex through the endless stream of enemy fire raining down on them. The cries of pain and suffering quickened his trigger finger and centered his mind as he killed again and again.

_ I need to survive this. Vix is waiting for me, and I won’t let this planet take one more thing away from her. _

ARF troopers lunged ahead of him in their scout walkers, crushing poor unsuspecting Umbarans with their mechanical feet and destroying their tanks with a few well placed rounds to the engine. Bodies from both present parties scattered across the field as the 501st grew closer and closer to defeating the first wave of unfriendlies. The first of how many, Fives and the rest of his brothers had no clue. But as long as the battalion remained strong and claimed more of the enemy’s territory, then Fives had the strength to keep fighting.

Even though Vix technically shared the same Umbaran blood that these soldiers had, he didn’t feel any remorse in killing them. She was  _ nothing _ like them, evil Separatist sympathizers who designed weapons to terrorize the galaxy. A people who were so willing to cast aside an orphaned little girl just because she was different? Kind and caring, strong and incredibly loyal, and they thought that she was  _ less _ than. Fives would never forgive the people of this world for what they did to Vix, and every time he shot another one square in the head or ruptured their gas masks and watched as they asphyxiated from the pressure change, he was able to separate Vix farther and farther away from her people.

With a final blast of a distant detonator, the fighting stopped and the sky once again blackened without the glowing rays of blaster bolts flying through the air around them. They had won, for now.

“ _ Vod _ , check in with your CO and take a break,” Rex’s voice echoed in his helmet speaker.

The men around him scattered off in various directions, some joining groups to chat and others slumping down into the dirt for a quick moment of rest. Fives was too wired to relax, and the sight of Jesse’s armor beckoning him over to a nearby ditch caught his attention.

Jesse, Hardcase, and another clone leaned against the sloped ground as Fives walked over and sat down with them.

“Fives! Glad you made it through the first wave, didn’t want all that ARC training to go to waste so soon,” Jesse said.

Hardcase nudged his brother, “Well he would be dead if that plant thing had gotten ya!”

Fives winced at the memory of his encounter with the half-plant, half-creature early on in the battle. The images from Vix’s briefing the night prior paled in comparison to the real thing, as the creature had grabbed Fives by the waist and flung him around like a toddler playing with a tooka doll. He now understood why Vix had been named after the fearsome Vixus, both were incredibly silent predators that hunted their prey at ease. Thankfully in his case, his Vixus was much more loving and gentle than this monstrous collection of vines ever could.

“It’s called a Vixus,  _ di’kut _ . I read my mission reports,” Fives jostled.

“Fives please, do you think Hardcase knows how to read?” Jesse added. The three clones erupted in laughter, as Hardcase slipped his helmet off and flipped it in his hands.

“I know how to read! It’s just boring sometimes...” Hardcase grumbled.

Jesse rolled his eyes and pointed at the other clone sitting with them, armor still mostly a shiny white but with the new addition of a teardrop under the right eye and a few dashes of blue.

“This is one of our newer boys, Tup. Me and Hardcase have been watching out for him, keeping Dogma from annoying him with protocol and crap like that.”

Fives offered his hand out to the trooper, who slowly reached out with his own gloved hand to accept it.

“Hey. Nice to meet ya, Tup. I’m Fives.”

The helmeted trooper continuously shook his hand and stared at the ARC trooper, “I know who you are! You’re Fives!”

Fives tried to slip his hand out of his brother’s grip but to no avail.

“Yeah mate, he just told you his name,” Jesse slowly offered.

Tup let go of Fives’ hand and reached up to remove his helmet. The trooper bore a matching teardrop tattoo under the same eye and his long, curly black hair was pulled back into a tight top knot.

“Sorry, it’s just you’re _ the _ Fives! I’ve just heard so much about you. The 501st never stops talking about you, you’re a legend!”

Fives felt his cheeks heat up from the praise and tugged his helmet off his head, the humid air of the planet not aiding in cooling him down.

“Well, don’t believe everything you hear. Especially anything these nerf-herders have told ya,” Fives slaps Tup’s back, and the trooper gives a little yelp in surprise.

“Fives, don’t be so modest. You have quite the reputation in the GAR,” Hardcase said.

“Oh yeah? Enlighten me. Going solo in the past few months has made me a bit slow in the gossip department,” Fives joked.

“Well, we, uh. We don’t mean to pry or anything,” Tup stuttered.

“We’ve just heard some rumors about your recent ‘escapades’,” Jesse said.

“You mean my missions?”

“Something like that,” Hardcase laughed.

“What do ya mean by that?”

“Oh come on Fives, don’t be shy! We need the details!” Jesse exclaimed.

Fives looked into each of his brother’s eyes as they leaned forward excitedly, waiting for some secret he was soon to divulge. But he hadn’t the faintest clue as to what they were going on and on about.

“Details of  _ what _ ?” He cautiously asked.

Jesse scoffed and playfully pushed Fives’ shoulder, “You’re telling me that the official ‘Ladies Man of the Grand Army’ isn’t gonna share some stories about the women he’s bagged?”

His brain skid to a halt, unable to process the absolutely ludicrous statement that had just slipped from brother’s lips. Maybe it’s one of Jesse’s jokes, or maybe Fives had misheard, but based on the focused attention his brothers held as they waited for forthcoming gossip, he was beginning to suspect they were deadly serious.

“I’m sorry, I must have inhaled some of that spice gas the Umbarans use. Did you just say ‘Ladies Man of the Grand Army’?”

Jesse wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulder, “Don’t be so modest, it’s a well-earned title. Chopper told me that someone told him that you’d slept with a woman on every planet you’ve visited, is that true?”

“Or that you brought a girl into the Corrie barracks and fucked her on Commander Fox’s desk?” Hardcase added.

Fives shook free from Jesse’s hold and stood up, scooping his helmet off of the ground .

“As I told Tup earlier, don’t believe everything you hear.”

“So you’re telling me that a good-lookin’ ARC like you doesn’t have a gal in your life?”

_ I don’t want to lie to them, my brothers deserve the truth. I want to tell them about Vix more than anything, but the risk is too great. Maybe it’s better for now that they think I’m some ‘man whore’ instead of a love-struck boyfriend. _

A piercing scream of another trooper broke the silence of the resting jungle. Umbarans lunge from their hiding spots and descend on the trapped clones as they pick off their prey one by one. Fives climbs out of the ditch and follows blindly after the voice of Rex barking orders to retreat, letting his DC-17’s return to their comfortable spot in his gloved hands and send blaster shots at approaching targets.

Just like before, the bodies of fallen brothers litter the ground around him as he continues sprinting through the haze, until the wonderful sound of two incoming bombers flew over his head towards the enemy’s direction. With the deafening boom of the explosives deposited from the bellies of the Y-wings, the ridge they had previously rested on was now reduced to ash and smoke. The blood was still pounding in his ears as he holstered his pistols and stood off to the side, taking another moment to release a sigh of relief and thank the Maker. It was another close call, too close for the ever watchful eyes of the 501st. He knew that for the rest of this campaign, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down for any moment, or something worse might happen.

Dogma approached and offered a canteen, which Fives accepted before ripping his helmet off and taking a swig of the cold water. Dogma, despite his sometimes annoying demeanor, never really got on his nerves back when they were squadmates. He was easy enough to ignore at the time and they mostly stayed within their respective friend groups. But now thinking back on their time together, Fives starts to notice the subtle similarities between the tattooed trooper standing beside him and his brother, Echo.

The pain of missing Echo hadn’t disappeared, just lightened itself enough that Fives could manageably carry the grief with him every day. He missed Echo’s wit, the way he knew the answer to any and every question, just having him by his side. Handing the canteen back to Dogma, Fives realizes how many people he’s known are no longer there and how desperately he wished he could have said or done more with them when he had the time. He decided that he wasn’t going to mess up his chance to befriend Dogma, especially before it was too late.

A gunship swung down into the clearing the 501st now rested in, and the looming form of General Pong Krell stomped out of the ship and approached General Skywalker and Rex in the distance.

“General Krell is here?” Dogma whispered beside him.

Fives remembered from the mission briefing that Krell was assisting General Saesee Tiin on the other side of the planet, and wasn’t expected to be anywhere near the Capital like they were now.

“Something big must be going on,” Fives whispered back.

Fives watched from afar as the two Jedi spoke briefly, gesturing once or twice to Rex who stood patiently to the side, before General Skywalker hopped into the hull of the gunship and disappeared into the thick fog of night. Whatever had just occurred between the two men didn’t matter, all that did was the 501st had a new Jedi General; one with quite the infamous reputation.

* * *

The droids hadn’t even bothered to handcuff her after her pathetic surrender.

Vix walked in the center of the droid escort as they marched into the heart of the Capital. So much of the city had changed just in the short time she’d been away. Banners hung off of balconies with the embroidered emblem of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and most street corners and doorways they had passed were being guarded by an armed droid. But still, no sign of any Umbaran, or any other life form for that matter.

Vix found some solace knowing that Crosshair was tracking her; either on foot or by her wrist communicator, as she passed checkpoint after checkpoint before a large durasteel wall loomed before her and her captors. A section of the wall parted and she was herded into the metal corral with a blaster jabbed in her back.

In small groups scattered around the expansive space that she assumed was the main base, Umbarans huddled closely to one another as B1s and super battle droids stalked alongside them. Once glowing eyes now ran dim as they clung to one another, and Vix could see the faint outlines of thin bones peaking out from their sickly skin.

_ These people are dying. What is my father doing to them? _

A small child coughed harshly into their mother’s chest and Vix moved to approach them but was stopped by the barrel of a blaster rifle staring down at her.

“Commander Phera, do not attempt to interact with the prisoners or they will be terminated,” a B1 warned her as another grabbed her by the forearm and yanked her back towards the group.

They shoved her towards a tower standing in the center of the base, with a thin, needle-like base that morphed into a diamond shaped tip. The droid that was still clamped on her arm separated from the group and led her through the door and onto a translucent lift, ascending up in silence at a relentless pace.

When the door opened, it felt as if she had walked into an extravagant penthouse on Coruscant, rich colors and fabrics decorated the walls and furniture around her and the soft melody of a music broadcast floated in the air. It was so startling to see something so unlike Umbara here in the Capital; full of color and life, eliciting warmth and a sense of belonging.

The battle droid pushed her through the foyer and across the living room towards a nearby door, before letting go of her arm and gesturing for her to enter. She pushed the entrance button and a long table was set, with food and drink already poured as if waiting for a dinner party to feast. Sitting at the end of the table, was him.

No-Var Castille looked much older than the photo she had of him in her file, with sunken cheeks and black hair peppered with white streaks that were combed back into a frozen style. She recognized the uniform he wore, the grey and white military jacket accented with the CIS emblem on the shoulders and dark trimmed pants tucked into knee high black boots. Snake like eyes flashed up at her and her blood ran cold. He looked more Umbaran than she ever had, the irony of it being hidden by the collective fear and anger that spilled into her gut the moment she saw him.

Grabbing his wine glass, he brought the crystalline to his lips and took a long sip of the ruby red liquid and gestured to the seat pulled out beside him.

“Vixus, my child. We have so much to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary:  
> The Bad Batch and Vix land on Umbara, where she has a severe panic attack after stepping out of the ship. The squad helps her feel better and they hike through the jungle towards the Capital. Crosshair and Vix sneak in to do recon while the others wait for their signal, and Vix willingly turns herself in to the droids.  
> Fives lands on the planet with the 501st and meets Tup. He finds out that rumors are circulating about him being a player and decides it's time to get closer with Dogma. General Krell sends Anakin back to Coruscant and assumes control of the battalion.


	19. A Family Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple things before y'all read;  
> 1.) I just want to say thank you for everyone who has read, commented, or given kudos for this work! I honestly could never have imagined that it would get the attention it's gotten and I'm truly thankful.  
> 2.) Vix is gonna get some sweet justice ahead, but mentions of past abuse and low opinions of herself are ahead if that ain't your kind of thing.  
> 3.) I honestly think y'all are gonna come kill me with what I have planned for next chapter lol

Vix stood frozen in the doorway of the dining room, staring back at the man she had despised almost every waking moment of her life. Fantasizing about confronting him and making him pay for everything he had done to her. And yet now, she can’t even unstick her boots from the floor to move closer.

Glorious shades of red painted the walls around her, delicate gold trimmings and marble tiling surrounding the expansive room in wealth and power. To see such exquisite design be wasted on scum like him, sitting pale and cold in the sea of warmth that his suite brought to this miserable planet, raised her ire even more. If only the droids hadn’t relieved her of the multiple blasters that had been strapped to her hips and thigh, she would have shot a hole through the bastard’s head already.

No-Var studied her from his chair, swirling the ruby liquid in his glass as his thin eyes wandered over her. 

“My, what a woman you have grown to be. You look so much like Quorra.”

The mention of that name sparked something ferocious inside her as she unstuck herself from the floor to storm towards him, the blood pounding in her eardrums.

“Don’t you dare speak of her,” she growled.

No-Var coolly leaned back, seemingly unphased by the furious reaction before him.

“Why not? Isn’t she my late wife, just as you are my daughter?”

“I am  _ not _ your daughter.”

He tsked at her, shaking his head slowly, “It is unfortunate that you feel this way, my dear. We need not be adversaries.”

Vix scoffed, “I’m here to bring you to justice, whether you come willingly or not.”

“There is no need for threats of this kind. Sit, my child. Perhaps I can shed some light on the reality of our current...predicament,” gesturing to the seat beside him.

Vix noticed the table was already set for her, with food already portioned out on the plate and a glass of what she assumed was wine awaiting its first sip. He clearly had been expecting her, waiting patiently for her to turn up and for what? A family meal? She huffed at the ridiculous notion, but as she saw her father slice into his own steak and bring the juicy cut to his lips, she grew curious as to what his true intentions for this meal were. Slowly, she stalked across the room towards him and lowered herself into the cushioned chair, trying to shift as far away from her father as possible.

“What if I were to tell you that this war had been in the making for some time, before the start of the Separatist Crisis and even well before disputes with the Trade Federation began?” He started.

“Well then I would think you’re a senile, old man who needs a good blaster shot to the head.”

He chuckled deeply, the noise sounding foreign coming from a man so cold and heartless.

“You may joke now, Vixus, but I assure you that there is more to this conflict than you will ever know. Not even the Jedi can see the darkness that festers right in front of them.”

_ What the kriff is he talking about? _

“And what is your role in all of this? Our intel places you as a member of the Separatist Council and a close ally of Count Dooku, but I’ve spent my entire life trying to hunt you down with little success. It’s like you disappeared from the face of the galaxy.”

He brought another piece of the steak to his mouth, chewing it slowly almost like he was enjoying this meal, savoring this moment. It made Vix’s stomach tighten as she continued listening to her father willingly reveal his crimes to her with such a careless air to his confession.

He set his fork down on the plate, patting his napkin lightly against his mouth and eyeing at Vix’s still untouched meal. The aroma of the steak and leafy greens piled high in front of her made her mouth water, especially after the tiring trek through the jungle and now, with the tranquilizer fading, came the return of her post-emotional fatigue from her earlier ‘episode’. But she didn’t trust No-Var one bit, she would rather starve as she did growing up on this planet than accept a scrap of bread from the monster beside her.

He hummed to himself, “Yes, I have played my part well in orchestrating much of the Clone Wars with the help of some well-placed friends. Around the time you were born, whispers of change were brewing amongst various political leaders and corporations seeking change and I saw an...opportunity, if you will.”

“What kind of opportunity? To drink wine with bureaucrats and buy ridiculous amounts of marble and gold? ” She sneered, gesturing around at the heavily decorated room.

“While I do consider myself to be quite ‘comfortable’ in my lifestyle, I did it because I saw an opportunity to change the course of our universe forever. To make it a better, more civilized society than what the Republic saw fit to give us. So after Quorra died, I saw my chance to partner with the Trade Federation and expand my business.” 

He pushed away from the table, walking over to face the wall which morphed into a large glass panel. Vix could now see down below them the tiny forms of the Umbarans still clinging to one another in their small clusters, along with the distant flashes of light from the Republic forces engaging the militia.

“And what kind of ‘business’ would that be?” She cautiously asked.

No-Var looked over his shoulder at her, his lips curled tightly into a calculated smile.

“Slavery, of course. How else do you think I knew about the Zygerrian slave market I acquired Quorra from? Demand was limited back in those days, but now, business is prospering.”

Vix shoved herself back from the table, the sound of clattering dishes and silverware echoing through the massive dining room.

“You’re  _ scum _ !”

No-Var turned away from the window, studying the overturned wine glasses and cutlery rather than the murderous look of his own daughter. 

“Don’t be so high and mighty, you are just as guilty of imprisoning the innocent as I am. I’ve been watching your career in the Republic with great interest, and know of how crucial you are for the clone trooper program. Are they not slaves to the Republic? All of their thoughts and actions are being controlled by someone else; possibly even you.”

Vix shot up from her chair, slowly walking around the table to face her father.

“You and I are  _ not _ the same. Those men are not  _ slaves _ , they swore an oath to the Republic and willingly lay down their lives to protect the galaxy from people like you.”

Her father grinned at her, an evil twist in his lips that chilled her spine, “And yet just like your mother, their own needs are nothing compared to those that control them. The will of their master always comes first.”

Vix would never admit it, but her father had a point. She in recent months had struggled with the morality behind the legal status of the clones, knowing that everyone, including Fives, weren’t even considered sentient beings in the eyes of their own government. It was something they agreed not to discuss, not because it would start arguments between the two or wind up with a melancholy mood, but mostly because they were afraid of their own reality. The longer the war waged on, the more certain it was that the clones would remain in Republic servitude. 

When all they had ever known was war and with such limited lifespans, would it be entirely fair to let them live normal lives out in the galaxy? According to many politicians who were vocal on the Holonet, it wasn’t fair; better to let them die in the service of the Republic than to let the tax payer’s credits go to waste.

She joined him at the window, staring off into the depths of the Capital and remembering a time when the utopic town wasn’t being torn apart by cannon fire and blaster bolts. In the distance, the scorched remains of the air field lay deathly still, and Vix remembered the last time she had seen her father; telling her to stay put on its tarmac as he walked back into his ship and disappeared into the black sky. No explanation, no goodbye.

“Why did you leave me here?” She whispered.

She hadn’t even meant to ask him for the truth, because she knew deep down it wouldn’t be anything good. The excuses she had made up as a child, fantasies of her father swooping back down in the city and begging for her forgiveness, while not likely to occur then or now, still would have softened the blow. But her father didn’t seem like the ‘begging’ type, and she knew before he opened his mouth, he wasn’t going to start today.

He smiled to himself, “I waited patiently all these years, knowing that we grew closer and closer to striking at the perfect moment. For this plan to even have a chance at succeeding, it required me to not be attached to anything...or anyone. I figured it was best if you stayed with your own kind, the people of Raxus would never accept something like  _ you _ as an equal. I assumed you would understand that the fate of our galaxy was far more important than me being a father to you.”

Tears fell down her face as she tried to stop her quivering lip. She refused to look weak in front of this man, but Maker, it still didn’t mean that the truth didn’t tear her heart in two.

“It might be more important, but that still didn’t give you the right to abandon me like you did. I was a child, I had no one and nothing to claim as my own. So I fought every day to stay alive on this kriffing planet and I’ve done horrible things to survive. All because of you”, hissing the last word through her teeth.

“Don’t get emotional, Vixus. I know you will one day understand that this experience was good for you. Dooku’s master, Lord Sidious, has helped me see past attachments such as ours and focus on the...greater picture. He told me that Umbara would one day be known as the ultimate downfall of the Republic and bestowed upon me the high honor of leading the Separatist Alliance through this historical moment. The irony of my offspring living in this wasteland is not unknown to me, and perhaps part of me wished to see the woman you had become. If you were even alive.”

No-Var slithered back to his chair, plucking his overturned wine glass and refilling it to the brim. The entire time, Vix could feel his piercing eyes watching, and feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as if to sense danger in the room. She blinked the remaining tears away and watched the tiny Umbarans below as the droids circled the small groups, like a predator teasing its prey.

She glanced over her shoulder, “So what now? What is this ‘grand plan’ of yours? And what are you doing to the Umbarans?”

No-Var licked his lips as he set his glass down, “Why I’m going to kill them, of course.”

Something about hearing someone so casually sentence hundreds of people to death doesn’t register in Vix’s mind immediately, and it takes her a second to process his ludicrous statement and swing away from the window.

“What?” She shakily asks.

No-Var leans back in his chair, propping his leg over his knee as he smiles at her.

“If the Republic storms this base, I’ll order my droids to slaughter every last man, woman, and child in my custody.”

“Why?” The anger now seeping back into Vix’s mouth like acid, burning her throat with every moment her hands aren’t wrapped tightly around her father’s thin neck.

“Because I win either way. If the Republic attempts to defeat me, the deaths of these innocent people will serve as a warning to the rest of the galaxy, that your government wasn’t powerful enough to save them. Those clone troopers of yours weren’t fast enough or brave enough to keep an entire people from dying. If it can so easily happen to this civilization, who is to say that any other Republic-sided system might fall under the same fate? Even if the Republic fails in retaking the planet, I’ll still execute them all. I’m sure an accusation from the Separatist Parliament that their loyal citizens of Umbara had been slaughtered by Republic troops will convince many systems to side with us. Regardless of the eventual fate for this campaign, the Confederacy wins and I will have done my part to bring order to the galaxy.”

His plan is cold, calculated,  _ evil,  _ and yet she hadn’t expected anything less than that coming from her father. He was absolutely right, the death of the Umbarans, intentional or not, would be on the Republic’s hands. Unless Vix did something about it, and  _ quick. _

She stalked towards him, “What if I just killed you instead?” 

Her father scoffed, like it was a ridiculous question for her to even ask. His dismissal makes her blood boil, and she starts seeing red; only by gritting her teeth and taking deep breaths does she not lunge at him.

“My death will do nothing at this point. I have rerouted all shipments of arms and supplies originally from local bases to now come directly from the fleet, and you can not stop something that has been in the making for years and years. You could however, kill me for revenge. I can see it in your eyes. You’ve waited for this day ever since I left you here. To put a blaster in my mouth and pull the trigger, or slice my neck open with a vibroblade. I can see it all.”

He was right, he was absolutely right. Thinking of killing him had gotten her through some of the worst moments in her life; too many to properly keep track of. But to get his permission? It chilled her to the bone.

“I deserve my revenge. For myself, and my mother,” she whispers, trying to convince herself with each step towards him that she  _ can _ do this.

No-Var stands up from his seat and faces her, his voice entrancing her almost like a lullaby her mother might have once sang for her.

“Show me how much I have hurt you. Show me how much pain I have caused you. This will make everything better. Do it.”

Her hands ache to grab something, anything, and use it against him to steal the life from this monster. Vix thinks about Quorra, and how much suffering her father had afflicted on her. She feels the weight of her childhood resting heavily on her shoulders, reminding her that  _ he  _ did this and he deserved to pay the ultimate price. And just as she sees from the corner of her eye a steak knife laying unprotected and thinks she is going to do it, grab the blade and finally end what has been years in the making, Fives’ voice echoes from the depths of her mind.

_ This was who you  _ were _ , not who you  _ are _. _

Fives has been the only one to ever see the real Vix, the one who doesn’t hurt every waking moment waiting for vengeance to come knocking at her door. The real woman who is strong, bold, intelligent, and can dream about a future ripe with possibilities; not just waiting for the grueling night to fade into the bitter day. He knows about her past and yet somehow unbeknownst to her, still loves her; reminding her every day that she survived through it all and came out alright in the end. Killing her father wouldn’t change the past, it wouldn’t bring her mother back from the dead, wouldn’t even guarantee the safety of the helpless Umbarans down below. 

So with a deep breath and a shake of her head, she steps back from No-Var, “No. I will find a way to stop you and save this planet without anymore bloodshed. You will be brought to justice for your crimes and you will reveal everything to the Jedi Council and the Senate. The oppression brought on by the Confederacy of Independent Systems will end, and you will have lost.”

He shakes his head gravely, “What a shame. I am quite disappointed in the woman you have become.”

In an instant, No-Var swipes up the steak knife beside them and slices across her arm, tearing her black shirt to reveal a trickle of blood dripping down her side. With a howl of pain she darts to the other side of the table, clutching her bloodied arm as she frantically wraps a discarded napkin around the wound and pulls tightly; sending a teeth-scattering pain through her entire body. She fumbles for another knife on the table and raises it up to face him, both of them circling one another in their new, dangerous tango.

He charges at her and Vix swipes his leg, sending him barreling into the dining room chairs left unoccupied during their ‘meal’. He peels himself off of the floor and grabs one of the toppled over chairs, swinging it at Vix and shattering the wood against her back. The hit throws her down on the marble floors with a skull-rattling thud. Stars fill her vision as she turns over on the floor, but they slowly start to fade from her sight as No-Var stands over her, brandishing the bloodied steak knife in her face. Blood trickles from his nose and his once perfectly-styled hair is now shaggy and disheveled. Wild, hungry eyes stare down at her with an evil smile plastered on his sharp face.

“Your compassion makes you weak, and your faith in an already-rotting government blinds you from the truth. A new order will arise from the ashes of Coruscant and I will be remembered as a hero to the people. What will you be remembered as?  _ Nothing,” _ spitting the word with such venom and scorn that it brings tears to Vix’s tired eyes.

All her life she had been nothing, a nobody with no one to care for or care about. She had held onto that belief for so long, but had never started to question her line of thinking until she had met Domino squad. Until she had met Fives.

Now as she stares into the blown pupils of her father, his knife held above her ready to make the fatal blow, she reminds herself that she has something worth fighting for. Not just Fives, the Republic, or the lives of the captive Umbarans; but herself.

The gentle lighting in the room suddenly cuts out and is replaced with the ruby red glow of the emergency lights. A distant noise from the bottom of the tower rattles the dining room around them, and the high pitched voice of a battle droid cries through the intercom system.

“Intruder alert, intruder alert. Republic forces approaching.”

_ Bad Batch if that’s you, y’all better be making me proud down there. _

Her father’s attention snaps from the window where blaster shots and plumes of smoke billow up from the destruction down below, then returning his sights back on Vix, now a sly smile growing on her face.

“I’m Commander Vixus Phera, daughter of Quorra Phera, and I will be remembered as the ‘nothing’ who kicked your sorry Separatist ass, you fucking moof-milker.”

She slips her legs out from underneath him and kicks with every last bit of energy she can muster into his groin, sending him flying against the dining room table and scattering broken shards of crystalline across the marbled floors. Now with the wind knocked out of him, she picks herself off of the floor and stalks over to him, curling her fingers into the thick fabric of his uniform jacket and hoisting him up. A groan of pain escapes his lips as she drags him to his feet and with a punch that makes her muscles scream in pain, No-Var is knocked out cold; a dribble of blood spilling out of his mouth as he slips from her grip and crumbles to the floor.

Vix stumbles away, as the last of her adrenaline subsides and the rush of pain returns to her arm, before she slides down the wall to sit on the cold floor. The cries of droids can be heard from down below, and explosions close enough to shake the floor beneath her. And then suddenly, everything stops and the noise cuts out.

Vix ponders for a moment if maybe she had made up her victory over No-Var and was now dead, simply imaging the fighting to be over and won. But the reality of her situation slams her hard in the chest, and years of bottled up anger and frustration spills out all at once.

_ I did it. I finally got him. _

This was never the type of reunion Vix had imagined for herself and her father, but it had been well worth the wait. She lets the tear flow freely without regret, not because of the pain in her cut arm or the throbbing in her back, but because it feels  _ good. _ Knowing that she had defeated him, showed him how absolutely wrong he was to have abandoned her, brings a sense of safety and security she had been dreaming of for years. She imagines the expression on Fives' face when she tells him everything that had happened, just as the sound of the suite’s main doors being blown to bits spook her from her daydreams.

“Commander, are ya here?” Wrecker calls out from the other room.

She wipes the tears from her cheeks and picks herself off of the cold floor, “In here, boys. I’ve got a present for ya.” 

The dining room door slides open and the Bad Batch swarms the room with blasters held close to their chests, scanning their surroundings before noticing their injured Commander and a still-unconscious target slumped on the ground.

Hunter signals them all clear and they each holster their weapons, the sound of their helmet seals releasing as they take them off and set them down on the glass and food covered table.

Hunter kneels down in front of the incapacitated man, “No-Var Castille, exactly how I ordered him. Bloodied and bruised.” 

She huffs in amusement, “Did you also order me that way too?”

Tech catches sight of her bloodied arm and gets straight to work, cleaning up her various cuts and scrapes with bacta and bandages while Hunter debriefs her. 

After Vix was taken into the droid’s custody, Crosshair had followed her to the base and commed the rest of the team, sending them the coordinates to bring the ship in for a closer landing. Once everyone arrived, a quick study of the base’s set up and a headcount of the droids and civilians around them, the team sprang into action in their usual, yet down-right crazy way of destroying droids.

Tech finished wrapping Vix’s arm, and with a satisfied nod moved over to check on her father, not before stabbing Vix with another tranquilizer and a hypo full of pain meds. She slowly rubbed the spot on her neck that the two needles had punctured back-to-back, as she watched Wrecker slap the restraints onto her father’s wrists.

“How are the Umbarans doing?” 

“They’re alright, Commander. The 212th just got here and they’re with the civvies right now,” Hunter offered.

Vix starts laughing to herself, much to the confusion of the men around her, “The four of you took out an entire base of droids? With no casualties?” 

“What, like it’s hard?” Crosshair snided, fiddling with his scope absentmindedly.

That seems to make the laughing worse, to the point that the only thing that gets her to stop is a wave of the tranquilizer as it finally flows through her exhausted, delirious system.

Crosshair rolls his eyes and nudges her playfully, “Go downstairs and take it easy, we’ll handle the ‘grand prize’,” gesturing to the now awakened form of her father as Tech does a quick pat down for any weapons that might lie hidden in the officer’s uniform.

Not wasting another moment in the room with that wretched man, she cleans herself up in one of the bathrooms near the foyer, and once free of any blood that had been painted across her pale skin, she heads down the tower’s lift.

Troopers from the 212th swarm the base as she spots Cody and General Kenobi talking in the distance and heads their direction. Various medics cluster around the small groups of civilians, and Vix spots the frail child she had noticed earlier, now babbling in broken basic to the clone she remembers being called Waxer. The smile on the man’s face as he patiently listens to the child rattle off whatever story she is telling him reminds her of when they had briefly talked a year ago at her impromptu birthday party.

_ I wonder how that little Twi’lek girl him and Boil were talking about is doing. Numa, I think? Have they stayed in contact with her? _

The gentleness of the interaction warms her heart as she approaches the Commander and General, also watching the cute conversation intently.

“Commander Phera, congratulations on your capture of No-Var Castille. Hopefully with him out of commission, we can sever the Separatist backing of the local militia,” General Kenobi offered.

“No-Var disclosed that the Umbarans are now getting direct shipments from the supply ships in their fleet. The only way we can finish this is destroying that ship."

Cody sighed heavily, “We figured that something else was aiding in their assaults. The 501st had captured an airbase to the west not long ago and yet it didn’t impact the enemy attacks one bit. We have squadrons engaged with the Separatist fleet right now, but they are still being overrun by Umbarans.” 

Cody holds out a holoprojector and the boundaries of the Capital and its surrounding jungles materialize before them. The three of them study it intently, watching small dots representing the various troop divisions settle around the map in their respective locations.

After a minute, Vix speaks up. “We need to get the 501st back here now. Solidifying control of the Capital is critical to draw their remaining forces away from our starfighters, and give them a chance to take out that supply ship.” 

“Agreed, I’ll contact General Krell,” Kenobi said.

Vix blinked at the Jedi, “Don’t you mean General Skywalker?” She cautiously asked.

“I’m afraid not. Anakin was called back to Coruscant almost immediately after landing, and Krell was sent in to command the 501st in his place. I’ll contact him at once and inform him of the new situation,” turning away from Vix and Cody to converse in a more private setting.

The confusion brought on by the 501st’s situation brings the beginnings of a migraine not even the pain meds currently in her system can prevent. Krell’s reputation within the Grand Army was...rough, to put it lightly. His specialty seemed to be losing troopers at an alarm rate, even with his 'successful' track record according to high command. But now he was in charge of the 501st, most likely putting Fives more at risk than before under Skywalker’s command. Hopefully, she thought, that she was being too overprotective at the moment and realistically knew that everything was fine. Fives was  _ fine. _

Vix and Cody observed the 212th assisting the Umbarans around the base, various medics and troopers tending to the weak and injured, while some took the time to talk to the children; some too young to understand the frightening ordeal they had just experienced. At the base of the main tower, Clone Force 99 stepped out of the lift and strode across the base towards them, roughly shoving No-Var in front of them. Hands bound tightly in binders, he scans the smoking remnants of his base with his thin eyes; a dangerously calculating aura exuding from the captive Separatist. But Vix doesn’t fear this man, not anymore.

Wrecker yanked her father by the arm and brought him closer to her and Cody, chuckling at the obvious displeasure of their prisoner.

“On behalf of the Galactic Senate, I hereby accuse you of crimes against the Republic and place you under the custody of the Grand Army. You will be escorted back to Coruscant and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope you rot in jail for the rest of your days, Mr. Castille,” she hissed.

“My child, if you think that I will arrive at Coruscant in one piece, then I fear your naivety will come back to haunt you one of these days. ”

“You’ll be delivered by a fully armed transport, no Separatist cruiser is dumb enough to attack a Republic ship to save your sorry  _ shebs. _ ”

He tsked at her, “I was not referring to my Separatist colleagues. I must warn you, there are eyes watching everywhere. Even from the very heart of your own beloved Galactic Republic.”

“Cram it, No-Var. Save your opinions for your trial,” Cody grumbles beside her.

“Daughter, since I will most likely not survive my trip to Coruscant, let me leave you with one last piece of advice. Do not trust Chancellor Palpatine.”

His tone serious, almost warning her, as if he actually cared about her well-being. But as Wrecker shoves him back towards the squad and they make their way towards the  _ Havoc Marauder _ now parked on the outskirts of the base, he steals one last glance and his concern, though minimal, spoke volumes for Vix.

“Why didn’t you tell us he was your father?” 

Cody’s voice stole her attention away from her father’s piercing stare. She knew the secret was bound to reveal itself to the rest of the GAR, especially with having No-Var in their custody and the eventual trial that would take place in the chambers of the Galactic Senate. But it was still her secret, and even with No-Var’s relationship having been revealed in front of her men, she had wished she could have told them on her own time, from her own lips.

“That man was as much my father as Jango was yours. Remember what I said at the briefing? You boys are the only thing I have to consider my family ever since my mother died. No-Var was  _ never _ a part of my family.”

Cody pursed his lips, furrowing his brow deep enough that his scar tighten down the groves of his cheeks and jawline. After a moment, his hand gently squeezed her shoulder and the heavy weight that always bore down on Cody’s shoulders was lifted momentarily; seemingly making him lighter and younger than Vix had seen him in recent years.

“You will always have us, Vix’ika. I can promise ya that.”

They stood in silence for a moment, watching the troopers clean up the base around them and escort the Umbarans out of the walled enclosure towards a more secure location.

From the other side of the armored wall, the  _ Havoc Marauder  _ lifted itself into the foggy sky and darted towards the Republic fleet above; planning to deposit No-Var to one of the cruisers before they jumped back into the heat of combat.

Cody chuckled beside her, “Those boys of yours are really something, aren’t they? I’ve never seen a squad of clones take out a base like this.” 

Vix studies a droideka that had been ripped apart limb-by-limb beside her and smiles, “They really are something. Which is why I’d like for you to help me look out for them. Be an  _ ori’vod _ for them. Could you do that for me?” 

“I’d be honored, Vix’ika.” 

She gently touched his arm, “Thank you, Cody. You’re a good man and a good brother to me.” 

Her vision became slightly blurred as tears fought their way to the surface, but she fought to keep them at bay. But Cody still had taken notice as he placed his gloved hand over hers and patted it.

“Geez, getting a little emotional today are we?”

Vix rolled her eyes at his teasing, “Sorry, it’s been an ‘interesting’ day.” 

Cody watched her for a moment, the scar running down his face tightening with concern and worry. Just as he opened his mouth to say more, General Kenobi rejoined them; his brows furrowed and a look of alarm flashing in his blue eyes.

“General, is something wrong?” Cody asked.

Obi-Wan sighed, “Indeed, I just lost contact with the airbase. Now it is unclear if we will be able to coordinate out defenses.” 

_ Is Fives alright? What about the 501st? I have to do something. _

The anxiety, though subdued by her second dose of the tranquilizer, is kicked into overdrive as she ponders the possibilities of the communication loss. 

“I’ll...take a speeder out to the base and re-establish connection. I’ll get the 501st mobilized as soon as I can, while you maintain your defense of the Capital,” she nervously interjected.

Obi-Wan twirled the end of his beard, “Alright, be careful Commander Phera. And may the Force be with you,” he offered.

Vix bowed and rushed towards the edge of the demolished base, spotting an untouched speeder bike off to the side. With a quick check of the navicomputer and a rev of the engines, she flew out into the streets towards the direction of the airbase, unsure of who or what she would soon find.

* * *

_ If by some chance I come back from this alive, Vix is gonna kill me. _

Fives sat hunched over on a crate outside the dome that housed their temporary barracks, staring out into the misty Umbaran jungle. What he was about to do was risky, borderline insane at this point, and was breaking more rules than he could count. But he didn’t have a choice anymore, he  _ had _ to do something.

Ever since Krell had seized command of the 501st, it had been nothing but pure carnage. Fives had never seen this level of casualties in any previous campaign he had served in, and it wouldn’t infuriate him as much as it did, if he had a general that cared at all about it. But Krell had made himself perfectly clear to the ARC trooper when he ignited his dual-bladed lightsaber mere inches away from his neck; he hated clones. Not that he had ever come out right and admitted it, but Fives knew without question. Maybe that was why he had rejected his plan to use the enemy fighters to destroy the Separatist supply ship, not because the general thought it wasn’t possible, but he believed the clones weren’t capable of pulling something like this off. Well Fives was more than willing to prove the Jedi wrong, now with Jesse and Hardcase agreeing to go with him. But for now, he needed to finish something before the three of them would tell Rex of their plan and sneak off the Umbaran base.

He unhooked the small wooden box from his utility belt, and dumped the contents out in his hand. But instead of the usual three medals that had once lived inside, now were two golden rings; still cooling from their recent transformation.

After Fives had meticulously studied the mechanics of the Umbaran ships and cracked their access codes, he snuck into a secluded part of the hangar and worked on his secret project. Using the foreign tools around him, he melted and shaped the three medals down into the rings; one for him, and one for Vix. The three ruby gemstones that had once lived in the heart of each medal now shone brightly in the center of one of the rings, as he rubbed his gloved fingers over the freshly polished metal. 

From seeing the amount of brothers he had lost just in the past few hours, it started to occur to him that the chance he might not return to Vix was higher than he had wished; especially now with the dangerous task of blowing up the supply ship. If he was one of the lucky few who would make it off of this planet alive, he felt like it was time to show her how serious he had been a few days prior when they had talked about their future together. He desperately wanted to marry her, settle down with her, have the kind of life that was absolutely forbidden for him to even desire. He didn’t know when the war would end, but he didn’t care; all that mattered was being with Vix for however long his short life would grant him. It could be twenty years or twenty minutes, but he wanted to know in his last remaining moments in the galaxy that he had something,  _ someone,  _ to share his life with.

So if he had the chance to bring the Republic closer to victory, shouldn’t he take it? 

It was the question he had wrestled with since the idea for this mission had popped into his head, and even with the soul-crushing thought of Vix finding out about his possible demise, he had to do it. That was the type of man and soldier he was, and he hoped Vix would understand that.

Fives put the rings back into their box and pulled out a sheet of flimsy he had found in the Umbaran’s belongings, trying to think of the right thing to put on the blank page. What could he possibly say to Vix to make her understand? ‘Hey, if you’re reading this I’m dead after I blew up an enemy supply ship’? His usual sarcastic sense of humor had vanished the first time Krell had recklessly risked their lives, and he wasn’t going to joke around with a letter this important.

So he wrote down everything, how some part of him knew the first time they met that she would be the only one for him. How much he loved her and wanted to marry her, but that he wanted her to move on after his death and find someone who would be a better man than he could ever hope to be. And that he was proud to give up his life for something he  _ chose _ to believe in, rather than what was decided for him.

He folded the flimsy and brought it to his lips, somehow trying to give one last connection to Vix even after he was gone. He would never get to hold her, kiss her, feel the joy of her laughter or question the universe for why he was given the honor of loving her. But as he placed the letter in the box and sealed it up with the golden treasure inside, he reminded himself that she would be okay if something happened to him. His brothers would look out for her and protect her with their lives if need be, and that was all Fives could ask for at a moment like this. 

He spotted Tup exiting one of the nearby hangars and trudging towards him, the look of fatigue hanging over his eyes as the promise of sleep beckoned him closer and closer to the barracks. But Fives pushed himself off the crate and jogged over to the trooper, hoping to ask a massive favor.

“Hey, Fives. You going to bed too?” Tup yawned.

Fives abruptly grabbed his brother’s arm and dragged him away from the barrack entrance, hiding them in the dark shadows of the base.

“Tup, I need you to do me a favor. Well, two actually.”

Tup groaned, “Fives I can’t take your shift, I’m already exhausted as it is.”

Fives leaned in, “It’s not that. Me, Hardcase, and Jesse are going to take out that supply ship.”

“You can’t do that! General Krell already told Rex you can’t do it, you’ll get in trouble!” His brother exclaimed.

Fives pinched the bridge of his nose, “I know what Krell said, but this is the right thing to do. If we have the ability to prevent more unnecessary deaths during this campaign, don’t you think we should do something about it?”

Tup glanced down at his feet, shuffling nervously as he contemplated his brother’s words. Fives patted him on the shoulder, “I know you’re scared, Tup’ika. We all are. But I have a duty to the Republic and to our  _ vode, _ I can’t let Krell recklessly put our lives in danger just because he thinks we are inferior.”

Tup sighed, “You’re right, Fives. If you are asking me to not tell anyone where you are, especially Dogma, I won’t. I have your back, until the end.”

Fives sighed in relief and moved his hand off of Tup’s shoulder, reaching for the box on his utility belt.

“Thank you, Tup. I appreciate it. But now I need you to do something even more important for me, okay?”

He grabbed Tup’s hand and placed the box in it, his brother studying the wood grain with confusion and intrigue.

“If I don’t make it back, I need you to give this box to Commander Vixus Phera. You tell her what happened with Krell and the supply ship, she deserves to know everything. And she will need someone to be there for her after I’m gone, can I trust you to help her out?”

Fives prepared himself to be bombarded with questions, asking what was in the box or why he cared so much about his ARC commander. But instead, Tup tucked the box into his own utility belt without a word or a moment’s hesitation, giving a nod of reassurance to the trooper that his secret would be safe.

“Fives, good luck.”

Fives affectionately smacked his brother’s back and turned towards the main hangar, knowing that if he went down with the Separatist supply ship, at least someone would be there for Vix to help her pick up the pieces of her life, and move on. He sent a silent prayer that he would see her again, be able to tell her all the things he had written in his letter and offer her the rings himself. But as he caught sight of Hardcase and Jesse waiting outside the hangar doors, he was reminded that he wasn’t just doing this for her. This mission, just like any other, was for the Republic and for his brothers. Only this time, if he was going to parish in the name of their government, he wanted to be remembered as ARC Trooper Fives. Because he was not just another number. None of them were.


	20. Treason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dreamt this entire chapter and woke up crying, so y'all are going to suffer with me.  
> This is going to be a difficult chapter with alot of pain and mentions of death, suicide, crap like that. If that isn't your thing, I'll do a summary at the bottom

Thick fog blocks the path of the speeder as Vix flies through the jungle at a neck-breaking speed. The trip was already taking longer than she had hoped, dealing with the small pockets of insurgents and the savage flora and fauna that crept through the mists. 

Finally after two hours into the trip, the navicomputer on the speeder alerted her that the Umbaran airbase was quickly approaching, and its speaker awoke with the crackling sound of a clone trooper’s voice.

“Approaching speeder, identify yourself.”

“I’m Commander Vixus Phera, General Kenobi has ordered me to reestablish contact with the 501st for the upcoming assault on the Capital,” she flatly offered; more interested in swerving between vines invading her path than adhering to this protocol nonsense.

The base’s ray shields slowly become visible up on the horizon as she continues racing ahead, and after a brief pause, the voice of the clone returns.

“Copy that, Commander. Exterior shield will be disengaged immediately.”

A section of the electric field shut off abruptly, and Vix guided the speeder bike through the opening to park on the shadowy tarmac. Various hangar domes loomed around her with a singular tower resting comfortably in the center of the expansive platform. Dismounting the bike, she started walking towards the tower structure; noticing how incredibly quiet the base was at the moment.

_ Where is everyone _ ?

A singular spotlight flickered on the other side of the base, drenching the surrounding area in a stale light that burned her tired eyes. She averts her path from the tower towards the light source, hoping to find someone,  _ anyone,  _ who can tell her what’s going on.

Down where the spotlight is pointed, a row of troopers stand rigidly with rifles tucked into the crook of their arms, while a smaller group wanders over to join them. She can make out through the haze that coats the base, the armor markings to recognize a few of the men and spots Rex, now talking to two clones who appear to be...handcuffed?

As she sneaks closer, the bold ink of Jesse’s tattoo shines against the white lighting and she can tell he’s dressed only in the bottom half of his armor; his black bodysuit clinging to his chest. Her view of the other trooper is partially blocked by another clone barking instructions of some kind. The bits and pieces of the situation are finally starting to fall into place, noticing the grim frown Rex wears and the stoic poses the two men hold as they are pushed up against the durasteel wall.

Desperately squinting through the fog and the intense lighting, the unmistakable armor and tattoo of the other man has her running before she even knows it.

“Fives?”

Vix has never run this hard, this fast before in her entire life. She sees the row of troopers lift their rifles up in perfect synchronization and her legs somehow find the strength to move quicker across the tarmac. 

“STOP!” 

She doesn’t stop running until she hits Fives, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist and squeezing him with every last drop of energy that remained in her fatigued veins.

He let out a shocked yelp, “Vix? What are you doing here?” 

Her legs ache from the sprint and her chest heaves heavily with each gulp of air, but all of her attention isn’t focused on her body screaming for rest. Her whole  _ soul  _ is fixated on the thick binders clinging to his wrists, the trembling in his chest, and now as she gazes up at him, the look of sorrow in his beautiful eyes.

“What’s going on? Why are y’all in handcuffs?” She shakily asks.

A large hand grabbing her shoulder suddenly spooks her, whipping around frantically only to see Rex defensively holding his hands up. He looks  _ rough.  _ Now that she is facing the rest of the men standing around her, the weight of grief and pain hangs heavily over them like a cloud; aging these young men before her very eyes.

Rex, with dark circles under his eyes and the life drained out of his once stunningly tanned skin, takes a deep breath and leans in closer.

“Jesse and Fives have been sentenced to death for disobeying direct orders from General Krell.”

Her mouth runs dry, “He ordered an execution? What did the two of you do?” 

“We both did what Krell was too afraid to do. We blew up that Seppie supply ship,” Jesse spoke up beside her.

Dogma marches up to his brother, his pointed tattoo warped by the look of disgust growing on his face.

“It was wrong and you know it. Disobeying orders, lying to a commanding officer, and recklessly leading Hardcase to his death? The General knows you must be properly punished for your insubordination.

“Hardcase, is he really...” Vix whispered, the rest of the question dancing on the tip of her tongue. Fives could only offer her a tight nod and the severity of the situation was crashing down around her.

Information was flying through Vix’s mind too quickly to comprehend, the dizzying effect making her feel unbelievably small in the massive military structure, so unbelievably helpless.

She shook her head, “No, no that can’t be. I’ll talk to him, get this sorted out.” 

“It’s too late, Vix. He’s given the order and if we don’t comply, he’ll do it himself,” Rex solemnly sighed.

Fire burns within her core, “And y’all are just going to let him get away with this? This is wrong and everyone knows it! You are not a bunch of unthinking droids! You are men, who have the ability to think and act for yourselves and be able to understand when to take a stand. And that time is now!”

The mournful faces of the men shy away from her gaze to ponder her words, but she knows the reality of this execution; orders are orders.

Fives gently nudged her shoulder and she turned back to face him, her anger subsiding the moment she sees how calm he looks, so certain. It absolutely terrifies her. She memorizes his features, the way his love and admiration is worn so proudly on his face; looking down at her with glossy honey-brown eyes that always pierce right through her very soul.

“Vix’ika, I’ve already tried to reason with them but it’s no use. I never thought I’d go out this way, but I’m glad I got to see you. One last time,” his voice low and steady, with a finality that makes Vix’s stomach drop.

Her hands tremble up to his face, mapping her way across his sharp cheekbones and square jaw as tears pool in her eyes. 

“Fives, no...no, you can’t leave me. You can’t die! Please,  _ please _ don’t go.” 

Begging,  _ pleading _ that he doesn’t leave her alone on this planet. That Umbara doesn’t get the satisfaction of succeeding over and over again in making her life a living hell.

Fives softly smiles, making her lip tremble pitifully and her tears run faster; clouding her vision.

“Don’t cry,  _ mesh’la. _ My brothers will be there for you after I’m gone, it’ll be okay.

Rex places his hand back on her shoulder and squeezes it, “Vix, you need to stand back.” 

His touch burns like acid, shrugging him away to dig her nails further into Fives’ bodysuit. Her eyes sting from the never-ending stream of tears and her temples ache from the strain of holding back the sobs that fell from her lips, but she was helpless in controlling herself. Not when she would soon be witness to her soulmate’s demise.

“No, no, no! Fives please, I can’t lose you. I love you.” 

Without thinking her lips were on his, and the faint gasps and murmurs from the stunned troopers around her faded into the depths of her mind. She thought kissing him would help ground her, make her calm down from her erratic high. But as they parted and she met his tear-brimmed eyes, she found her mind had ventured to a dark conclusion. If this was the way Fives was meant to die, so was she.

He nuzzled his forehead against hers, “I love you too, more than you will ever know. Tup has something to give you after this is all over, I promise everything will be alright.” 

All at once, hands wrapped themselves firmly around her and pry them apart, dragging her away from the firing squad’s range.

“Let me go! Fives!”

Kicking and screaming with all her might had little effect on the hold Rex and Dogma had on her, but if she couldn’t stop them, she  _ had  _ to be there with him. She had lost so much in her life, and even with the satisfaction of capturing her father and the promise of bringing him to justice, it didn’t matter. None of it mattered anymore. A life without Fives by her side wasn’t worth all the pain and suffering it had taken to get to this point. 

The way Fives struggled to look away from her piercing screams, desperately trying to focus straight ahead at the rifles once again pointing at him and Jesse, would forever be burned in her brain.

“Rex, you promised me! You  _ promised _ you would protect him!” She could feel his grip on her tighten, squeezing it almost apologetically but it was too late for apologies. Far too late.

“Fire!” Dogma yelled.

The sound of gunshots rang through the air and Vix collapsed heavily on the ground, trembling as sobs raked through her body. She couldn’t watch him die, it would have been imprinted on her heart and haunted her for the rest of her days.

But then Dogma suddenly gasps, “What? What happened?”

Hearing the shock in his voice, Vix wills herself to steal a small peek; praying that the corpses of Fives and Jesse don’t greet her with a morbid sight. But instead, she sees the two soldiers  _ standing,  _ with blaster bolts smoking behind them from where they had struck everywhere except their flesh. Rex gently picks her up off the ground, her legs shaking heavily as she gulps down shallow breaths.

“They’re doing the right thing, Dogma. Because if this is how  _ vode _ get rewarded for heroic actions, then one day, every man in this battalion may face a similar fate. Take off their binders.” 

Each one of the troopers in the firing squad toss their rifles aside and crowd around their two brothers, unhooking their handcuffs and giving them whispered apologies. The group parts and Vix has a clear shot of Fives, now rubbing his wrists and mumbling curses under his breath. Until he sees her.

In an instant, she had somehow found the strength, the will, to run to him and fling her arms around him; clutching him so tightly, like she’ll never let go. Fives’ tears wet the crook of her neck as he lets out a shaky sob, finally dropping the act of strength he had portrayed for her moments prior and showing her just how truly scared he had been.

“ _ Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, _ ” she whispered into his chest, almost trying to speak directly to his pounding heart. His heart that was still alive and beating just for her, that proved to her that he hadn’t been cruelly executed mere feet from her.

From somewhere behind her, a wrist communicator beeped loudly,  “Captain Rex, General Krell has ordered you and Commander Phera to report immediately to the command center.” 

Rex sighed, “Kix, secure Jesse and Fives back in the brig until we can deal with Krell.”

_ Krell. This was all his doing, his design. _

Vix pushed herself off of Fives’ chest, trying not to notice the stares of the men around her. The dramatic reveal of their relationship would have to be dealt with, but for another time. Right now, the anger starting to dry up Vix’s tears were solely focused on giving the Jedi General a piece of her mind.

“I’m coming with you. I think it’s time that I meet your new  _ Jedi _ ,” she hissed.

Fives cupped her chin, turning her to face him, “Vix, are you sure about that? Krell doesn’t take kindly to anyone who doesn’t worship the ground he walks on.”

She reaches up and wipes a tear away from his cheek, his head nuzzling into her touch, “It’ll be okay, Fives. I'll talk to Krell and figure out a way to get you free, I promise,” giving a quick peck on his lips before she begrudgingly pried herself from his loving arms.

Rex clenched his jaw as his gaze flicked between the two of them, and after a moment of studying them, released a tired sigh.

“Alright then, Dogma come with us.”

The coldness she offered Dogma as they ascended in the tower’s lift was palpable in the air, enough to have Rex stand in between them to act as a barrier. Not that she would have done anything against the clone, but his eagerness to execute her boyfriend and his friend was a little too much for Vix to handle in her emotionally and physically exhausted state.

The lift doors opened and General Pong Krell stood by the large window panel, holding his back rigidly with his multiple arms tucked tightly behind him; a dangerous scowl on his face. The Besalisk stomped halfway through the command center to meet them, passing various helmeted troopers who flinched with every pounding beat of his feet.

“Well, if it isn’t the infamous Commander Vixus Phera,” he darkly purred.

“You’re one to talk, General Krell. You have quite the… ‘reputation’ among the men,” she gritted through her teeth.

Krell scoffed, resting two of his arms on the massive lightsabers that hung off of his belt. “Reputation does not interest me, only loyalty. Which is why I demand to know why those clones weren’t destroyed. You’re making a mistake by crossing me, clone.” 

“It’s Captain, sir,” Rex corrected, eliciting a growl for the Jedi as he loomed over the three of them.

“Loyalty doesn’t require you to order the deaths of men who risk their lives in service of the Republic. They should be commended for their valor and celebrated for their role in taking back Umbara from the Separatists,” Vix said, her skin vibrating with the unbelievable urge to kick his kriffing ass.

Krell flicked his gaze over to her, “I never imagined that I would be getting lectured about loyalty from someone like you. Someone with your...inferior background. And especially from someone whose very people we’re fighting. Isn’t that right, Commander Phera?” His voice low and mocking.

Vix was two seconds away from stupidly clocking the Jedi General in the face, when one of the clones working diligently at the panels suddenly spoke.

“Sir, there’s an incoming transmission.” 

“Put it through,” his yellow eyes staring deep into her soul before he turned away. In the center of the room, a white figure materialized out of large pixels; the texture moving roughly as the outline of a kneeling trooper entered the room.

“General, the Umbarans have stepped up their offensive. We’re holding them off, but their squadrons have ambushed one of our platoons, seizing weapons and armor. We believe they may be planning to launch a massive attack.” The holo suddenly cut off, and the room went eerily silent.

“Looks like you have your stay of execution, for now. Commander Phera, I presume you are here for the eventual assault on the Capital?” Krell asked.

Vix calmed herself, “Yes, General.” 

“Then you and Captain Rex will prepare platoons to move out immediately, it’s time we hit the enemy with everything we’ve got before we regroup with the other battalions. And let the troops know that the enemy is stealing armor and disguising themselves as clones.” 

Rex tiredly nodded, “Yes sir.”

Rex, Dogma, and Vix quickly head down the lift to gather the men, explaining the intel and coordinating platoon formations for the forthcoming assault. For a moment, Vix ponders defying Krell’s orders and staying behind, letting her rest and spend a much needed moment alone with Fives. But as she learned the hard way only minutes prior, the Jedi doesn’t take too kindly to people disregarding his orders. So as she reloads her weapons and prepares herself for what lies in the jungles ahead, she reminds herself that she’ll get her chance to talk to Fives when she comes back.  _ If  _ she comes back.

* * *

That monster had betrayed them.

Vix desperately wants to cry, but she must have dried herself up with the emotional whirlpool the day has already been. She now cradles Waxer’s helmet in her hands, softly tracing the lines of the little Twi’lek girl that had been lovingly painted there. His body lays beside her, looking so peaceful and free from pain; even with the tears on his cheeks that are now slowly drying.

His death, just like every other member of his platoon and the group of Rex’s men that had joined her out for the supposed Umbaran ambush, were on Krell’s hands. Confusion ran wild through the surviving ranks of men around her, all trying to figure out why a General would willingly have their men kill one another. Especially a Jedi.

Vix is so hungry, so angry, so  _ tired, _ that the weight of the red fog surrounding her slumps her shoulders; making her body and mind feel so ready to give up. But the figure of Rex appearing before her and offering his hand to pull her up from the wet dirt reminds her that they have work to do. They have a Jedi who needs to answer for his crimes.

With a quick headcount of their surviving men and a brief description of their arrest plan, the 501st and 212th marched side-by-side through the Umbaran mists with Rex and Vix leading the front; all hellbent on getting justice for their fallen. When they returned to the base, their first stop was the brig, releasing Fives and Jesse to redress in their armor and join in on the seizure of power. She didn’t have the stomach for it, so Rex unfolded the events of the ambush to them, the look on both men’s faces as they learned of the horrific truth was unreadable to her.

Vix doesn’t know the entirety of what Krell had done to them since he took over command for the 501st, but she can tell that the revelation of his wicked deeds do not faze them in the slightest.

With the two men dressed and briefed, they left the safety of the small prison and ventured towards the tower; knowing full well what lay ahead. Vix snuck her hand into Fives’ grasp, intertwining their fingers and squeezing as tightly as she could. Even with his helmet on, she could feel the waves of reassurance and strength he was desperately projecting to her as they grew closer and closer to the lift doors. They hadn’t had any time to really talk about everything that had taken place since they had parted back in the Republic hangar. How it felt being back on the planet, the reunion and eventual defeat of her father, or an explanation as to what exactly had happened to the 501st since they landed on the shadowy world. But with the forthcoming arrest of General Krell, the seductive promise of rest, food, and comfort would soon be granted to her.

The two of them and the large group of troopers Rex had assembled now piled into the lift, the cramped air filled with the nervous and angry energy radiating from everyone as they pulled out their weapons and readied themselves for the doors to open. The lift coasted to a gentle stop and the doors slid open, revealing Krell standing alone in the darkness of the command center; waiting for them.

Everyone spilled out into the room and circled around him, blasters and rifles trained intently on the Besalisk. Rex and Vix stood stoically at the mouth of the room, with Fives calmly hovering at her side; rifle locked and loaded. 

“General Pong Krell, you are being relieved of duty and are under arrest,” Vix barked.

Krell slowly turned to face them, a vicious smile growing on his face that revealed the pearly whites of his sharp teeth.

“It’s treason, then.”

“Surrender, General,” Rex ordered beside her, both of them drawing their dual pistols from their holsters and pointing them at the Jedi.

Krell lazily scanned the troopers around him, unphased by the amount of weapons eagerly pointing in his direction, “You’re committing mutiny, Captain.”

The nonchalant tone of his voice has Vix imaging all the various ways she would love to cut down the man in front of her. 

_ How dare he have the  _ shebs _ to pass off his actions so casually. He and my father would get along nicely _ .

“Explain your actions!” She growls

“My actions?” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Fives cocks his helmet in a way that instantly reads to her as ‘calm down’. But that’s becoming easier said than done when the creature gazing down on her keeps baiting her with his pompous aura.

“For ordering your troops against one another.”

“Oh that, I’m surprised the two of you were able to figure it out. For a clone, and a mutt,” he snips down at them.

Vix doesn’t know if it’s the anger coursing through her veins or the deliriousness that still clouds her mind, but she swears she can hear Fives talking in her head; almost like she is wearing a matching helmet tuned in to the clone’s frequency. A voice desperately telling her to calm down, to ignore the threats and insults from the monster in front of her, to focus on her duty to the Republic.

Rex must have been sensing the fury brewing within Vix as he steps ahead of her, cocking his blasters up in the Jedi’s face.

“Surrender now, General. You’re outnumbered!”

Fives gives the signal, and everyone takes a step forward, inching closer and closer to capturing their target. Krell stands perfectly still letting her and the clones grow uncomfortably close, close enough to slap the binders onto his four arms. And then he moves.

The air tinges with a slight vibration and then slams into her chest, sending her and every trooper in the room flying backwards.

“You dare attack a Jedi?” 

With the twirl of his hands, brilliant shades of green and blue emit from either end of his two lightsabers and cast the darkened room in an unnatural glow, even in a bioluminescent world like Umbara. The moment the blades reveal themselves, every blaster in the room begins to fire and every shot is perfectly blocked by the massive Jedi. Some troopers attempt to charge with their guns raised heroically towards the man, but are mowed down with the simple flick of his sabers; leaving golden trails of melted plastoid in their wake.

“I will not be undermined by creatures bred in some laboratory!” Krell growls, and without a moment’s hesitation, crashes through the large window to make his escape. Rex, Vix, and Fives can only watch from up in the tower as Krell lands gracefully on the ground below and resumes his killing spree.

“After him!” Vix turns towards the lift and the few surviving troopers follow behind her.

When they reach the ground level, they see the massive glowing figure of Krell continuing his rampage past the deactivated barrier of the airbase towards the thick jungles, and everyone runs after him. Bodies litter the ground around them as they continue sprinting at full speed after the General, but the sudden appearance of Dogma in their path stops them; especially when the barrel of his gun is raised in their direction.

“Dogma, put the gun down,” she calmly orders as he wildly swings the gun around the various troopers approaching, their own weapons greeting him.

“No, I have to do this. You’re all traitors!”

Rex slowly takes his helmet off, facing the man with tired eyes, “No, Krell is the traitor. He made us turn our backs on one another and that is something I can’t let slide.”

Tup sneaks up behind the crazed trooper, shoving the nose of his gun into the back of his head, “Dogma, don’t do it.” 

For a moment, Vix thinks he is actually going to do something; pull the trigger on her or any of his brothers surrounding her. Thankfully however, Dogma slowly lowers his blaster on the ground and is immediately tackled by another trooper; binders snapping tightly onto his wrists. Now seeing the severity of Krell’s manipulation and power over the clones from her first hand encounter with Waxer’s platoon earlier in the night, she can’t help but feel sorry for him. Dogma was a loyal soldier, someone who followed every order perfectly and without question; exactly the way the Kaminoans wanted them to act. He was the shining example of the four pillars Jango Fett had instilled in them from an early age and up until this point, would have been considered the ‘model trooper’ for every shiny to look up to. But now it was obvious that with proper manipulation, even the finest men in the Grand Army could crack under the pressure.

Rex shoved his helmet back over his head, “Lock him up in the brig. Everyone else, follow me.” 

With one last pitiful glance towards Dogma as he’s led towards the dome housing the prisoners, she swiftly follows after Rex and Fives, leading their men towards the dangerous jungle ahead.

The first thing they stumble upon once they reach the first wave of thick foliage are the bodies. A massive pathway is sliced through the jungle ahead of them, the fiery ends of Krell’s sabers slicing through both clones and plants as he made his escape. There is no sign of him, but now as they creep through the mists with weapons locked and loaded, panicked voices scream from Rex’s wrist comm. Through the crackling of the comm, Vix can clearly hear the sweep of Krell’s lightsabers as they slash through anything in his path; eventually leading to the demise of the trooper on the other end of Rex’s line. Fives joins her side as they sneak under vines and practically crawl along the wet soil, waiting for any sign of the Jedi to appear. 

“You should have listened to the ARC from the beginning, Captain,” his voice echoed through the woods, bouncing against the thick trees and sending panic through the edgy group.

“I was using you.”

A loud thud in the distance catches her attention as Krell lands on the forest floor, lightsabers lighting up the fog around him.

“You’ve all been my pawns,” he sadistically cheers before the shots of gunfire silence his boisterous talk.

The General begins slicing through troopers left and right, continuing his quest through the forest as he encounters resistance behind every tree trunk; and yet remaining victorious every time. Vix and Fives give chase, joining up with Rex and Tup as they continue after the crazed man, still leaving a trail of bodies in his blood-thristy hunt. Krell suddenly skids to a halt and forces pushes the four of them away from him, sending her and Tup flying through the trees until they both land in a clearing.

With the wind momentarily knocked out of both of them, it takes them a second to brush themselves off and stand back up before realizing the dangerous place they had landed. The entire expanse of the clearing was filled with sleeping Vixus, with their vines intertwined around one another; unaware of the massacre occurring only a short distance away from them. Vix fights the urge to run back towards the treeline with Tup in tow, as an idea appears in her head.

“Tup, tell Rex to lure Krell over here. We’ll use the vines to capture him for us.” 

Tup quickly scans the creatures around him and gives an enthusiastic nod, raising the wrist communicator up towards the mouth of his helmet.

“Rex, this is Tup. Lure the General over to us, we can stop him.” 

Vix points ahead towards the other side of the clearing, and Tup carefully begins to navigate his way around the vines, while she prowls among the shadows; awaiting the prey to fall into her trap.

The guttural laugh of Krell grows closer and closer and the flashing movement of his sabers peeks through the mists, chasing after Rex, Fives, and a handful of troopers who had somehow made it this far out into the jungle with their lives. From her crouched position among the Vixus, she sees the troopers heading right for her; desperately running and most likely praying that whatever her and Tup have planned will work out. The first wave of men fly past her, carefully sneaking their way around the vines as they head towards Tup and she starts getting hopeful.

_ This is going to work, once everyone is safe behind Tup one of these Vixus will get stepped on by this asshole’s huge feet and then I’ll stun the bastard when he’s tied up in their vines. _

The last remaining troopers make it to the edge of the clearing, Rex and Fives coming up in the rear as Krell closes the distance between him and the clones. Rex flies past her and she is almost ready to pop out and spring the trap, but then she watches as Fives trips over one of the vines and slams down onto the ground. Vix can see the evil smirk that grows on Krell’s face as he sprints towards the downed trooper, raising both sabers high in the air; ready for the kill.

“Fives, no!”

She doesn’t have time to think, to breathe, to speak another word. All she can feel her body instinctively do is spring from her hiding spot and fly towards the Jedi at lightning speed. Fives is mostly back on his feet, but can only look up as Krell’s maniacal face greets him and Vix can feel the fear course through the trooper. Knowing that this was it, the moment his light would be extinguished from the galaxy with the flick of a lightsaber on his flesh. But Fives doesn’t have time to react as Vix roughly shoves him out of the way, just as Krell’s sabers impale her.

Vix had once curiously pondered what it felt like to be hit with a lightsaber, fascinated with the power of the weapon and the mystique behind the scorching hot blade that could cut through anything. That didn’t mean she had every thought that she herself would get a first hand encounter with a Jedi’s laser sword.

At first she feels nothing, just the cold stare of Krell’s yellow eyes digging into her soul with so much hatred, so much anger, making her suddenly realize that she is no longer standing. She can’t feel the ground beneath her, but the distant tips of Zabrak Spines and Death’s Embrace greet her as they glow vividly against the black sky. Her eyes slowly travel down to her stomach, where now two blades of Krell’s lightsabers pierce through her black shirt, the smell of her own burning flesh hitting her nose. And then her brain finally catches up to the sight before her and the pain is indescribably horrific, both a searing hot and an icy cold that she can feel radiate through her entire body. 

For a moment Krell is visibly pleased with himself, until one of the Vixus vines wraps tightly around his waist and yanks him in the air, dislodging his sabers from her gut. She hears screaming, loud and piercing in her ear. She doesn’t know if it’s Krell, one of the remaining troopers, or even herself as breathing becomes impossible, moving becomes impossible,  _ existing _ becomes impossible.

There is so much going on, noise and light, pain and grief, to the point that she doesn’t notice the hands shakily tracing over her body. Someone is desperately calling her name, but she can’t hear it as another voice calls to her, soothing and gentle. Whispering the promise of peace, rest, and release from her suffering. It distracts her from the burning in her stomach and is too seductive to not obey its command.

_ Let go. _

Her thoughts momentarily focus on Fives, willfully trying to conjure his face in her mind to distract her from the weight that pulls at her eyes. She hopes he will be okay, prays that Krell was captured well before he has the chance to kill another one of the men, to kill Fives. Vix steals one last look at the Umbaran jungles around her, the place that she knew deep down would one day be her grave, and with a final breath, closes her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no regrets  
> Vix shows up on the base and watches Fives almost get executed, accidentally revealing their relationship to every. Krell orders her and Rex to stop the 'Umbarans' but it turns out to be Waxer's platoon. They break Jesse and Fives out of the brig and try to arrest Krell, but he escapes into the jungle. Vix and Tup try to lure Krell into a clearing filled with Vixus and the plan is going to work until Fives trips and almost gets killed by Krell. Vix pushes him aside and gets impaled by Krell, blacking out in the jungle.


	21. The Easy Way Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last chapter for a while with angst and me torturing these characters, but thankfully there is some wonderful fluff ahead! Thank you to everyone who has read so far!

A turbulent grey sea greeted Vix when she finally opened her eyes. The smell of salt and earth danced on each burst of ocean spray that kicked its way up the mountainous cliff she now laid on, the fresh green grass tickling at her flesh. Dreams this vivid weren’t an uncommon occurrence for her, with fond memories of stolen moments with Fives long before they had even considered their feelings for one another. But this time, something felt...different.

She slowly pushed herself off the grassy bed and peered over the edge to watch the waves crash against the shoreline, becoming enraptured by the calming hymn the tides sung with every push and pull. Caught in the distraction of the ocean, her senses didn’t notice the approaching shadow behind her until something soft brushed against her shoulder. Panicked, she spun around and dropped into her familiar fighting stance. A woman stood unmoved in front of her, with white skin and glowing blue eyes that entranced Vix with every flutter of her eyelashes. Long lilac hair blew in the wild breeze around them, strands of her locks catching on the sharp curves of her cheekbones.

“Hello, my little shadow,” the woman purred, the voice deep and comforting.

Vix tightened her fists and crouched down into a deeper stance, “Who are you?” 

The stranger stepped closer, a gentle smile growing on her face as she slowly reached her hand out. Vix doesn’t know why, but she lets the woman rest her palm against her cheek; a sense of belonging and love washing over her.

“Someone who loves you very much.” 

The look of confusion plastered on Vix’s face morphed into shook as she studied the strange woman before her. Noticing the bone structure and eyes that screamed Umbaran, and the glaring similarities that the two women standing so closely now shared.

“Mom?” 

She never had the chance to meet her mother, her having died shortly after giving birth. And it wasn’t like No-Var had actively taken interest in Vix’s childhood; telling her stories about Quorra and reminding her how deeply she was loved by both of her parents. Only through her work as a bounty hunter and doing her own research had she learned her mother’s name, discovered information about her life leading up to her premature demise, and had found a picture of her. She had looked impossibly young, Vix knowing that it was from a listing when Quorra was a slave on Zygerria and was auctioned off to the highest bidder; her father.

In an instant, she melted into her mother’s arms and clung tightly to her with every fear that she might vanish in her hold. Tears ran down her cheeks and with each sob, she would inhale her mother’s scent; something so primally comforting and right in the world.

Quorra lightly traced her nails up and down her daughter’s back, “I’ve got you, Vix. I’m here.”

“But you’re not here. You’re…” 

“Dead?”

She pushed herself away from her mother, shyly trying to look anywhere but the blue eyes that studied her. Quorra gently cupped her cheek and lifted her head up, wiping away a stray tear. She softly smiled, “Death is nothing to fear, my child. Have you not been listening to the lessons those Mando boys of yours have been teaching you? I’m not gone, just simply marching far, far away.” 

“Am I dead?” Vix whispered, a chilled breeze running up her spine while the wind howled around them.

Quorra quietly walked Vix over to the edge of the cliff and sat down, patting the soft grass beside her. She joined her mother, hanging her legs off the ledge as they both looked out onto the never-ending sea before them.

Vix didn’t  _ feel _ dead, in fact this was probably the best she had physically felt in years. But as the two women sat shoulder-to-shoulder in comfortable silence, the events from the Umbaran jungle slowly made their way to the forefront of her mind. She cautiously looked down at her stomach, still expecting to see the two sabers buried deep within her flesh. But instead, she found herself dressed in her usual black shirt and pants, without her armor attachments or any sign of having been involved in recent combat. Stealing glances around the shore and the cliff, she couldn’t find any sign of life, any indicator that she might possibly be in the conscious world by some strange occurrence. The form of her long-deceased mother sitting beside her quieted all thoughts on the hypothetical, and she came to a reasonable understanding that wherever she actually was; it definitely wasn’t in the land of the living.

After a moment of contemplating the situation and her mother’s lack of words, Vix finds herself smiling, “You’d like those ‘Mando boys’, I think. Especially Fives.” Quorra chuckled at the mention of the man, the sound an audible twin to Vix’s own laugh.

Her mother grinned, “He’s quite the troublemaker, I like that. No one will ever be good enough for my little shadow, but if I had to pick anyone to love you, it would be him.” 

Vix shook her head roughly, “I’m not good enough for him. Maybe it would be better if I moved on and didn’t wake up. Save him all the trouble. I’m just so...tired,” her voice wavered.

Tired of the pain, the suffering. Never feeling like she belonged anywhere or that she had people that she could call her own. The clones were as close to brothers as she could ever hope for, and she was lucky to have someone like Fives as her partner. But it didn’t feel right to claim them as her own, especially when they couldn’t even claim themselves as anything but Republic property. Admitting this stole the breath right out of her lungs, the honesty that for once in her life she desperately wanted to give up. Staying with her mom could be like the tides that now rolled onto the white sandy shore, letting it wash away her troubles and help her sink into the calming deep.

Quorra wrapped her arm around her shoulder, leaning Vix over to rest her head in the crook of her neck.

“I know baby, I know you’re tired. You’re not dead, for now. The choice is yours and yours to make. But Vixus, you are so deserving of a long, happy life. One that is free from the weight of the past that you constantly bear on your shoulders.” 

“But I don’t want to let go of the past. I don’t want to let go of you,” her voice now impossibly small and shaky.

“You don’t have to let me go. All you have to do is make peace with the past and know that you’ll never have to go through it again. You  _ survived _ . I know it’s been difficult for you, and I apologize for not living long enough to protect you from all the hurt you’ve faced. But you’ve never given up then, and I think some part of you knows not to give up now.” 

Vix reached down and intertwined her fingers into her mother’s other hand, memorizing the warmth and softness of skin long thought to be gone.

“Can you at least stay here with me a little longer? Until it’s time for me to go?”

Vix could feel her mother kiss the top of her buzzed hair, “Of course, baby. Besides, I need you to tell me more about this boy of yours.” 

Both women couldn’t help but giggle, feeling light and free from their playful gossip. This is what it should have always felt like, a daughter confiding in her mother about crushes, friendships, and the usual drama that occurs with everyone throughout the galaxy; regardless of species or gender. But Vix never got to experience that, and while it seems a little juvenile for her to spill her secrets about Fives to her long-deceased mother, it feels...wonderful. She snuggles closer to Quorra, letting her mother’s fingers brush in soft, circular motions through her buzzed hair while contemplating what to even say about that man who holds her whole heart.

She smiles warmly, “Fives, is without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me. He’s funny, brave, stubborn, and he makes me feel...whole. I want to marry him so badly, it hurts every second he doesn’t know. I imagine us living in a little house far away from everything that could possibly hurt us. Having some kids and just  _ living _ . But I would jump in front of those lightsabers a million times if it meant I could protect him.” 

“He sounds wonderful. I wish I had a good lookin’ boy like that in my life,” Quorra jokes.

“Just remember Vixus, he doesn’t make you whole. He just helps you see that you were never anything less than in the first place. That is how you know you’ve found your soulmate. The light to your shadow.” 

Vix wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s waist, “I love you, mom.” 

“I love you too, my little shadow,” her arms giving Vix one last squeeze before she gently separates them.

Now Vix can see it all. The bone structure, the hair, the way her mother’s eyes glow in the natural light; things that help her see the clear genetic resemblance. But she can also see love, understanding, and sorrow swimming on Quorra’s face, trying desperately to memorize it all before they were to be parted by death once more. The crackle of thunder catches Vix’s attention and in the distance, black clouds creep their way along the distant sky; slowly blocking the stark rays of the burning sun.

Quorra cups Vix’s cheek, “Be careful, a storm is rolling in and times ahead will be difficult. But just know I’ll be with you in your heart every step of the way. We will see each other again one day, I promise you that.” 

Quorra stands up from her spot and walks away, leaving Vix alone again on the ledge. She wants to turn and watch, steal one last glance of her mother before she wakes up and loses the comfort she had been granted in this short time. But she needs to be strong,  _ has _ to, and forces herself to stare ahead along the horizon; studying the thick clouds now brewing. Some voice deep within her core reassures her that she will see her mother again, lulling her to lay back down on the flattened grass around her and close her eyes. Because her mother really wasn’t gone, just marching very far away.

Everything is a white blur. Her eyes burn from the sensation and she tries to give a few groggy blinks to slowly adjust to the new world around her. Splotchy sections of the room now solidify as strange beeping machines come into form and the sterile environment around her alerts her of the makings of a private medical suite. The lingering scent of bacta and antiseptic hovers over her as she slowly pushes herself upright against the pillow, seeing a large mass shift at the foot of her bed.

A once sleeping Fives now blinks away the tiredness that Vix can see in his whole body. Hair long overdue for a trim curled wildly on his head and face, and hollow cheekbones had replaced once taut muscles that laced down the curves of his handsome face. Dressed in only the bottom half of his armor, he pushed himself off of the bed’s ledge where he had curled up and now absently squinted at Vix for a moment. Until his groggy brain caught up with his eyes and realized she was finally awake.

“Hey, handsome,” she hoarsely whispered.

“Vix?” 

She smiles at the sleepy clone, now rubbing his eyes roughly as he stares at her. “Didn’t think you’d get rid of me that easy, huh?” 

Some switch in his mind flips and he shoots up from the small chair he once was hunched over in, “Shut up, you beautiful idiot.” 

In an instant, he flings himself from the foot of the bed and wraps his hands around Vix pulling her tightly against his chest and peppering her face with an endless stream of kisses. She giggles as his lips tickle along her face and she is wrapped up in his warm embrace.

“Not a very nice thing to say to your girlfriend when she’s hurt.”

He clung tighter, “Never do anything that reckless and stupid again, you hear me? You scared the shit out of me,” sighing into her neck.

“I can’t make any promises. Where are we?” Fives stiffens in her arms and peels himself away from her, the loss of his hold eliciting a grumble from her lips. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and she expected him not to answer. But after a few calming breaths, he finally looked at her again, his once bright eyes now darkened and glassy.

“We’re at the Republic medical complex back on Coruscant. You’ve been here for three weeks.” 

Her breath caught in her throat, “Three weeks? 

He nodded gravely, “You’ve been in a bacta tank for most of the time, they just took you out two days ago. But for the longest time they weren’t sure if you would make it. They revived you twice just trying to get you off of Umbara.”

“What happened after Krell…” 

_ Escaped our arrest? Mowed down troopers left and right like it was nothing? Tried to murder you and stabbed me in the stomach with his lightsabers? _

The events were slowly starting to seep back into her mind, reliving the fear and anguish of knowing for certain that she was going to die. Even sitting in a medical suite having obviously survived from wounds that  _ should  _ have killed her, she still feels the edge of anxiety creep along her skin; almost as if Krell hides behind every corner ready to finish what he’d started.

“We arrested him and found out he was trying to keep Umbara for the Seppies, some way of getting Dooku to take him on as an apprentice. Rex was going to execute him, but Dogma snuck one of my pistols from me and did it himself.” 

She nodded along, surprised by all the information swimming in her mind. “Wow, the last time I remember seeing Dogma, he had a gun pointed at us for trying to arrest Krell.”

“Yeah well, I think he felt betrayed like all of us, and he saved Rex from being arrested for killing a Jedi.” 

“I think I of all people know a thing or two about Krell’s betrayal. What about Umbara? Or No-Var?

He shifted to hold her hands, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles and giving her a melancholic smile. “We took back the planet, but Vix. The ship your father was on was destroyed. The Seppies took him out before we could even ask him a question. I’m sorry.” 

“He knew.”

Fives blinked, “What?”

“After he was arrested, he told me that he wouldn’t make it back to Coruscant. That there were eyes everywhere that would make sure he didn’t talk,” her voice trailing off as she looks down at their intertwined hands.

Fives gave her hands a squeeze and stood up from his slumped over position hovering above her small form, “Well we can report this all to the Jedi and High Command, but for now, you need your rest.” 

She rolled her eyes, “Fives, I’ve literally been in a coma for three weeks. I think I can handle anything you throw at me right now.” A sudden burst of pain in her stomach eliciting a hiss from her clenched lips, almost proving a point of her still-fatigued state

He cocked his eyebrow and shot her a knowing look, “I know you can, but that doesn’t mean you  _ should _ . Here, let me go find a nurse droid and see if they can give you an extra dose of pain meds.” 

“Ooo, what a nice little treat that would be. Thanks, babe.” 

Fives winks at her and heads out of the room, leaving Vix alone as another wave of pain ripples through her gut. She throws her blanket to the side, studying the bland nightgown she is now wearing, and slowly rolls the fabric up her stomach. Thick bandages wrap around her from the top of her pelvis all the way to the bottom of her breasts, effectively trapping her from bending or really any movement at all in the cozy cot. The sudden image of the sabers plunged into her gut flashes in her mind and she quickly pulls down the gown to recover her wounds, trying to hide the reminder of the pain that came from staring up at Krell’s blood-hungry eyes.

“Hey, look who I found loitering at the nurse’s station!” 

The reappearance of Fives’ voice startles her and she pulls the covers back over her, as Fives and Kix walk through the door and make their way over to her.

Vix forces a smile, still trying to calm down from the memory of her would-be murderer, “Kix, good to see you.”

He walks over to her IV and fiddles with the levels, a calming rush of numbness trickling through her mind as the pain lessens considerably. “Good to finally see you awake, Vix. It’s been a pain in my  _ shebs _ looking out for this  _ di’kut  _ while you’ve been in treatment. Rex assigned me here to look out for both of you. I might have forced Fives a handful of times to get sleep or eat or do anything but sit here waiting for you to wake up.” Fives playfully shoves his brother from the remark. 

“Thank you for looking out for him,” Vix said.

Kix shrugged, “That’s what  _ vode _ do. Now that you’re awake, there is something that I need to discuss with both of you.”

“Okay…” 

Fives pulls his chair up to her side and sits down, reaching to hold Vix’s hand as Kix pulls out a datapad from the front of her bed.

“I know I’m just a field medic and I’m not the doctor who treated your injuries, but I figured it would be best if I explained everything to the both of you, especially knowing the current...situation between you two.”

“Are any of the boys gonna rat us out?” Fives asked.

Kix immediately answered, “Absolutely not. After everything the two of you went through on Umbara, it’s safe to say that the entire Grand Army will gladly take your secret to the grave.” 

“Tell everyone I said thank you.” 

“Of course, Vix.”

There was an uncomfortable beat as the three of them silently watched each other, until Fives cleared his throat loudly.

“So what about her injuries do you need to discuss with both of us? I haven’t been given any information about her condition the entire time. Pretty much drove me crazy.” 

Kix sighed as his gaze flicked over the datapad, “When Fives brought you back to the airbase, the damage was...extensive. I honestly don’t know how you didn’t die on the spot. Two shattered vertebrae, a fractured hip, and enough damage to your kidneys that one had to be removed.” 

Both Fives and Vix winced and stole concerned looks from one another. “Yikes, so clearly Krell wasn’t looking to leave me with a little warning when he stabbed me. What kind of recovery are we looking at?” Vix asked.

“The stay in the bacta tank healed a considerable amount, you’ll probably get discharged in a week but full recovery will take...time.”

She nodded to herself and offered a forced smile up at the medic, trying to come to terms with the unsettling news she had just received. “I see, thank you Kix.” 

Kix shuffled nervously at the foot of the bed, “There is one more thing.” 

“Alright, what is it?” Fives cautiously asked.

Her prognosis was already not that great, so Vix knew whatever Kix had to say, wasn’t something she necessarily wanted to hear. He hesitates for a moment, but plows through it and straightens himself up.

“The heat from the lightsabers created a significant amount of scar tissue to form in your abdomen. At this point, bacta can do a lot but it isn’t a miracle cure. Based on the severity of your injuries, you’ll most likely live with some form of pain for the rest of your life and might not regain your full range of movement that you had before. And I don’t want to presume if you’ve had this discussion…” He hesitates again and Fives releases a frustrated sigh.

“Just spit it out.” 

Kix rubs his hands through his styled buzzed hair, “It looks like the damage was severe enough that the likelihood of Vix ever being able to conceive is rare. Extremely rare.”

Her mind screeches to a halt and she tightens her grip of Fives’ hand as much as she possibly can in her weakened state. She wants to cry, feels the urge to sob bubble up from her lungs but she can’t. It just can’t be true what she is hearing. All of the hopes and dreams her and Fives had for the future were gone in an instant. Dreams that she had never dared herself to acknowledge until recently and now, they had been yanked out from underneath her.

Kix put the datapad back in the slot at the foot of her bed, trying to maintain his professional bedside manner in light of the earth-shattering news he had just given the couple.

“Your implant was removed as a precaution to not mess with your hormone levels and if you notice any side effects, you have to let the doctors know.” 

Fives stared off into the distance, his hand limp in her tight grip. She swallowed a sob and looked up at the medic, trying to hide the obvious glassy look of her blue eyes.

“Thank you for telling me the truth. Go get some rest, you don’t need to babysit him anymore.” 

He offers a sad smile, “Of course, comm me if you need anything. And I mean anything.” 

Fives releases Vix’s hand and stands up to walk his brother out of the room, remaining in front of the door even after it has shut in his face. Chills run up her spine as anxiety spikes in her mind, unsure of how he was going to react to the news. He had been so quiet, so unreadable as Kix described her injuries and just how difficult it would be for her to have a normal life from here on out. Would he be upset? Sad? Why was he just standing there and showing her no sign that he feels the same way she does? Maybe, she realizes, this might be too much for him to handle.

“Vix-” 

“Fives, I don’t expect you to want to stick around after everything. You heard him, I can’t have kids and I’ll be in so much pain. That isn’t the kind of life you deserve, so I’m giving you an easy way out. To walk out that door with no hard feelings and save yourself the trouble of dealing with all of this because I-” 

“Marry me.” 

She fumbles from his interruption, watching him intently with his back still turned to her; staring at the closed door.

“What did you just say?” 

Fives slowly faces her, his face unreadable and still and entirely frustrating for Vix to see at a moment like this. He peels himself away from the door and slowly stalks closer to the bed, each thud of his boots filling the deafening silence in the private room.

“Marry me.” 

Vix scoffed, “Fives if this is a joke, it isn’t funny.” 

“For once in my short life, I’m not joking.” 

His voice was strong and clear as he now stood beside Vix in her medical cot, staring down at her with calm amber eyes below his taut browline. Time ceased to exist in their little corner of the medical wing, their staring contest unbroken while Vix slowly waited for him to break into laughter or joke that he wasn’t serious. But he never breaks. 

“Why? Why do you want me even if I’m...broken?” Her voice barely a whisper as it squeaks from her mouth. Fives sits down on the cot and collects both of Vix’s hands in his, carefully gripping them without tugging on the fluid line burrowed into the top of her palms.

He kisses her knuckles, “Hey, you are the strongest person I know. You’re kind, dedicated, loving, loyal, and so unbelievably good. You’ve experienced the lowest of lows and yet you still make it out everytime. You have never let your pain and suffering define you before, and I know you’re not going to let it define you now. You’re a  _ survivor _ and that is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

She shakes her head, “But I don’t want you to feel pressured into marrying me because of this. I don’t deserve you; never have, never will.” 

Fives studied her for a moment, his eyes flicking over her ashamed features, before he stands up. Sliding down to rest on one of his knees, he fumbles for something on his utility belt before opening the lid of the medal box in front of her and pulls out two rings.

She squints at the rings, noticing the cut of the ruby gems in one of them and the bright color of the gold used for the bands.

“Is that…”

“I figured you wouldn’t mind if I used the medals for something else, the material seemed too good to waste,” he nervously huffed, holding the rings out to her.

He clears his throat, “I’ve wanted to marry you since the first time you yelled at me in the cadet barracks on Kamino. And I know we discussed waiting until after the war was over to do anything, but I just can’t wait anymore. Before I went to destroy the supply ship, I told Tup to give this to you in case I didn’t make it back, I needed you to know how serious I was. And I still am. Vixus Phera, will you marry me?” 

It was real, this was all real, not some cruel joke or her imagination playing games. Tears bubbled in her eyes as she smiled so widely she could barely see, feeling the tears squeeze out on to her cheeks.

She laughed, nodding furiously as she wiped tears away, “Yes, Fives. Yes!” 

Even with the pain making itself known in her back, she surges down to capture Fives lips and pull him onto the cot with her. Tears flow down both of their faces, but it feels so  _ good  _ knowing that they are the product of pure, blissful joy and not more pain and suffering. Giddy laughter erupts and he slips the ring on her slender finger and pulls his glove off to put his on, kissing her palm before showering her again with kisses across her face.

Fives pulls away and leans over her, cupping her chin in his fingers, “I’m going to be by your side through everything, okay?”

She nods, feeling the truth and dedication in his words wash over her, “Thank you, you’re too good to me.”

“Do you want to do the vows now? Or is there some Umbaran thing you want to do?” 

“No, I’d love to do the Mando’a vows. And I know we can’t have a big fancy wedding like in a holofilm or anything, but if it would be alright with you, can we go back to Krownest to say our vows? With Echo?” Vix cautiously asked.

His breathing staggers as he holds back tears, nodding profusely as a gentle smile creeps on his face, “Thank you, Vix’ika. Just say the word and we’ll go.” 

Kix might have said she would have to stay another week, but in a perfect word they would be leaving right now for Krownest, ready to start their life as each other's  _ riduur.  _ So she has to be realistic and not strain herself, knowing that they had already waited this long; they can afford another week.

“For now, can you just stay here with me?” 

Wordlessly, Fives pulls the covers over himself and gently shifts himself under Vix, letting her rest against his warm chest. She curls her legs up into his armored lap, becoming completely enveloped, protected, in his hold. Finally the walls behind her lids break and tears erupt, crying softly into his chest and words of sorrow, fear, and anger spill from her lips. Fives patiently listens the entire time, once in a while joining in on her grief for what  _ could  _ have been, but never letting her go. And as the emotional exhaustion lulls her to close her eyes and rest, the last thing she recognizes is the feel of his lips against her head.

“I love you, Vix’ika.”

True to Kix’s word, she is discharged after a grueling week of endless tests and physical therapy sessions that leave her aching down to the bone every night. She can now walk around with the aid of a cane, and the medical droids predict that within a few more weeks she should be able to walk with no assistance. While optimistic, it doesn’t make the entirety of her situation any easier to digest.

Recovery already has been intense, most days ending with angry tears and pleas of putting her out of her misery. But everytime she fell, Fives was there to help her up. Everytime the nurse droids wrapped her wounds in new dressings and poked at her sensitive flesh, Fives was there holding her hand. And everytime a sudden burst of pain would erupt from her hips or her back, Fives was offering her his love in comfort. He slept in the confines of the private suite, staying with her all day and all night as she grew stronger and stronger, and only with the dual bullying of herself and Kix, had left her for the first time since she’d awoken to go to her apartment and pack her things for their trip.

Now, the two flew through the waves of rush hour traffic towards the GAR shipyard where the same freighter they had taken to Krownest all those months ago awaits for them; once again ready to take them to the snowy world. Fives parked the speeder in an enclosed garage, grabbing all of their belongings and somehow handing Vix her cane in a blur of movement that screamed both protectiveness and love, with a hint of the dutiful soldier he was born to be. 

They walked through the garage towards the entrance to the shipyard before Fives blocked her path suddenly.

“Hey, so I know you don’t like surprises but I have something for you,” he said.

Vix shifted her weight onto the cane, “Okay? What is it?”

He set down the bags in the doorway and covered her eyes with his warm hands. He slowly eased her out from the cover of the garage into the warm Coruscanti sunlight, letting it ease the aches in her bones and feel it lift her spirits.

“Okay, you ready?” He whispered in her ear.

She nods slowly and the hands are gone, the bright flare of the sudden light burning her eyes for a moment, before diminishing so she can see ahead of her. Troopers line up on either side of them, blue armor on the left, orange armor on the right. Their light freighter awaits them at the end of the troopers, where Rex and Cody now stood helmetless by the ramp.

“ _ Vode _ ! Attention!” Cody barks as each trooper snaps into crisp salutes in perfect unison.

Vix slowly walks out to greet them, studying each trooper she passes with confusion and shock until she stands in front of the two officers.

“What is all this?” She curiously asked.

Cody stepped toward her, “We’re here to thank you, Vix’ika. What you did on Umbara was above and beyond the call of duty and honestly, I don’t think the Republic would have been victorious without your sacrifice.”

“But we are also here to support you. Both of you.” Rex added.

Fives’ hand came to rest on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, her hand instinctively rising to cover it and feel his warmth in her palm. With their bags returned to his side, he stood directly behind her, not hiding their obvious closeness in the government-owned facility.

Rex smiled as he eyed her ring, “Congratulations are in order, I suppose. Welcome to the family, Vix’ika”

Vix handed Fives her cane and she stumbled into Rex’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his kama-covered waist. “Thank you,  _ vod. _ ”

She also gave Cody a quick hug and turned to face the other troopers still standing rigidly in the yard.

“At ease!” She called out, and in an instant every trooper was swarmed around her. Hugs, words of congratulations and gratitude, and laughter floated around her as each clone offered some form of welcome into their extremely large family. She giggled at the excited nature of the troopers, until Fives finally shoved his way through the sea of brothers to grab ahold of his soon-to-be  _ riduur.  _

“Kiss her!” “Show us the ring!” “If he hurts ya, we’ll kill him!”

The chorus of clones all joyously shouted before Rex and Cody began their attempt at quieting the excited men.

“Okay, okay, let the love-birds get on their way,” Rex grumbled as he playfully pushed his brothers aside.

“Fives, I swear if you ever do anything to hurt Vix, every Commander and Captain in the Grand Army is gonna hunt you down and use you for target practice,” Cody warned.

Fives just snuck his arm around Vix’s waist and kissed the top of her head lightly, “I promise with my whole soul that I will never hurt her or do anything to make her regret taking the vows with me.”

Rex and Cody seemed satisfied enough with his answer, as they stepped aside to let the two of them head up the ramp of the ship. Vix settled into the co-pilot’s chair while Fives took control of the ship and took off into the sunny sky, leaving the bubble of the Galactic City and the security of the atmosphere as they made the jump to hyperspace for their journey ahead.

Vix mostly slept the entire way, trying to rest as much as possible in between quick sessions of stretching and other exercises recommended by her doctors. Fives at one point had snuck into the back and pulled his bag out of their cabin, citing that he was going to change in the cockpit before they landed.

He had packed both of them something to wear for their ceremony, but exactly what it was she couldn’t say. After a brief discussion about both Mandalorian and Umbaran wedding customs, she had given Fives the liberty to pick out their attire and pack anything and everything they might need on the frozen planet. After a while, his voice spoke from the ship’s intercom system and alerted that they would hit the planet in only a few minutes. Knowing that Fives would be okay piloting the ship and using the access codes given to them by the Mandalorians they had encountered on their first visit to Krownest.

Vix could feel the ship level out and softly settle on the ground, sinking low into the bed of snow beneath the ship’s landing gears. She pulled out her bag and dug through the contents until she found what she assumed was her wedding outfit.

A floor length white robe was neatly folded in the bottom of the bag, with a matching turtleneck and tight pants tucked in the fabric. Glorious sequins and white jewels were stitched into the robe’s fabric, swirling around the cuffs and the neckline like glittering snow dancing in the winter breeze.

_ I’m going to assume that he didn’t steal this or spend a shit ton of credits on this outfit, and that this is borrowed from Senator Amidala. _

She dressed quickly and tossed her cane back on the bed, taking a few calming breaths before she exited the quarters and headed towards the ramp; now descending down into the fluffy snow.

The cold whips in her face the moment she steps off the ship, feeling the waves of swift ice glide across her buzzed hair and watch the rainbow glow of the snowflakes flicker among her jewel-encrusted robe. In the distance, she saw Fives knelt down in front of Echo’s memorial, his old helmet covered in a thick ice that preserved the paint markings along the brim. The crunch of snow beneath her boots caught his attention and he turned to face her; sorrow morphing to stunned awe on his face when he sees her.

Unlike his usual attire and very much like usual getup, Fives is dressed head-to-toe in black, with velvet accents that seem to suck up all the light surrounding him and yet draw all attention on him. A thick coat rests over a black tunic, with tight pants tucked into boots now hiding in the white snow beneath them.

“Vix, you look...wow,” he whispered, his voice carried on another gust of icy wind.

She trudged through the snow, concentrating hard on not losing her balance as she slowly made her way up to him and Echo’s marker.

“Fives, wow…” she breathed, suddenly becoming shy and giddy like a youngling with a crush.

They both nervously laughed as he reached his hand and she grabbed it, guiding her closer towards Echo’s helmet and the edge of the cliff.

This was it. It’s been years in the making, from the first time she had seen Domino squad down in the training dome on Kamino, to seeing the members get picked off one by one until Fives was the only one left. To train him, comfort him, love him through the brutality of this war and show him how wonderful he is. But their relationship had also shown her the possibility of a life that was full of happiness and pure good, one she had never deemed herself worthy of even dreaming about. Until now.

Never in a thousand lifetimes could she have predicted the two of them standing together with their hearts and souls laid bare, about to swear themselves to one another until they take their last breath; to be reunited even when they become one with the Force.

“Are you ready?” She nervously asked.

This was his last chance to remember the offer Vix had given him a week prior in the hospital to walk away and never return. To save himself from having a wife that not only was illegal to have in the first place, but couldn’t provide for him the way he deserved and couldn’t be the perfectly healthy wife he should have. But the cocked smile and the shine in his eyes made his decision loud and clear in her heart.

“With you, _ cyare _ ? Always.”

They pulled each other closer until their chests touched, Fives leaning down to press his forehead against hers. And with a deep breath from both of them, they opened their mouths and spoke in unison.

“ _ Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde.” _

And with the words sealed with a passionate kiss, Fives and Vix were married on the snowy mountaintop on Krownest, the memory of Echo the only witness to their union.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO HAPPY FOR THEM


	22. Behind Closed Doors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo I'm back after a much needed break and we are now getting close to the end so strap in.  
> This is a Vix chap but there is a brief Fives moment that will be separated by the lines.

“So do I have a last name now?”

The sound of Fives’ voice pulled her out of her daydream as she pried her eyes away from the swirling vortex of hyperspace to glance at him.

“What do you mean?”

“As your _riduur,_ do I take your last name? Since I’ve never had one and it’s not like we are considered ‘Fetts’.”

Hearing the Mando’a word for ‘spouse’ roll of his tongue sent warmth straight to her core. As soon as they had finished their brief ceremony and spent time with Echo’s memorial, they had hopped back into the freighter in the hope of returning to Coruscant before anyone truly noticed they were gone. This precious time in the cockpit would be the extent of their honeymoon, before they resumed their roles as Commander and ARC; professional in their relationship and nothing more. This of course wasn’t the type of honeymoon Vix wished they could have, dreaming of visiting a luxury destination like Canto Bight or Coronet City where they don’t have to hide their love and could just enjoy their new roles as husband and wife. But with the urgency of the war and her health not yet cleared for...sexual activities, this was definitely the most boring wedding night in the galaxy.

“It’s totally up to you, Fives. You can always pick a last name for yourself. I kept my mother’s maiden name, wasn’t like I ever had a kinship with a ‘Castille,” she offered.

Fives leaned back and swung his hands behind his head, popping his feet up on the ship’s dashboard. “Yeah, my father-in-law was a real piece of bantha fodder. Might not want to be considered part of his family. But I would be honored to become a ‘Phera’. Do you think your _buir_ would be alright with that?”

Vix smiled as she stood up and shifted over to his chair, sitting comfortably on his lap. “Trust me, you already have her blessing... Mr. Phera.”

He chuckled, “Now I like how that sounds coming from your pretty little mouth.”

“Oh yeah? I can show you other things this pretty little mouth can do.” 

Vix gripped his chin and slowly pulled him forward until her lips teasingly hovered over the black ink of his tattoo. She flicked her tongue over the number before nipping at it, seeing a chill run through Fives from the corner of her eye. Lips trace down the curves of his face, repeating the wet lovebites at a gruelling crawl; not enough to leave a bruise, but enough to leave a pink trail as she makes her way down to his goatee and neck. Caught up in the sensation, Fives rolls his head back in the chair to grant her further access to his neck as she nips at his Adam’s apple and his breath starts to deepen until Vix starts to tug at his black tunic.

He gently grabs both of her roaming hands, “Whoa slow down there, babe. You haven’t been medically cleared yet, so nothing is gonna happen.” 

Vix comically huffed, disappointed that he had caught on to her otherwise sneaky tactic. “But Fives! It’s my wedding night! Shouldn’t I be allowed to have a little fun? I promise I won’t tell the doctors.” 

She leaned in for a kiss but her lips instead met the warm palm of his hand. “No dick until you’re no longer sick. Doc’s orders.” 

“I hate you,” she grumbled.

“I love you too.” 

Wanting to rub the smug grin that’s gazing up at her, an evil idea pops into her head. “Well if we aren’t gonna have sex, I guess I’ll go ahead and change back into my normal clothes.” 

Standing up, she unclasps the front closure and pushes the corners of the white robe off of her shoulders, letting the fabric pool around her.

“Whatcha doin’ there, Vix?” 

She innocently blinks, “I’m doing what I said. Changing,” as she slowly pulls the turtleneck up and peels it over her head; tossing it aside.

Fives rolls his eyes as he swivels his chair back towards the ship’s controls. “Oh, I see what you’re doing. It’s not gonna change my mind.” 

_We’ll see about that._

Kicking off her boots, she slowly undoes the belt closure and shimmies her pants on the ground before kicking them away. Now in just her undergarments, she tiptoes back over to his chair and sees Fives desperately trying to avoid her gaze, looking particularly interested in the endless swirl of hyperspace. 

As casually innocent as she can given the circumstances, she straddles his lap and runs her hands up his chest, past his neck and sharp cheekbones, to run her fingers through his curly hair. The sighing noise Fives makes the moment her nails trace his curls makes her wet enough that there has to be a damp spot growing on Fives’ lap even through the fabric of her panties.

His hands tentatively touch the scars on her stomach, feeling the heat of his fingers tighten the scar tissue of the healed spots. The stay in the bacta tank had done a good job healing a majority of the saber’s puncture wounds, but it can’t perform miracles. Now, two circular spots rest low on her stomach with their matching exit wounds on her back; a pale lilac against her white skin.

His hands continue mapping the curves of her body as they travel up her sides, fingers tracing smaller cuts and scrapes that have faded with time. Without notice, the practiced digits have torn her bra off and tossed it aside, continuing their iron-hot trail as they begin to circle her breasts.

And just when she thinks she has him, thinks that her little tease has won him over as she leans forward to kiss him, the ship lurches and the presence of real space returns around them. Surrounding them are ships, both military and civilian, who now all have a clear image of Vix’s naked form. She hopped off his lap and ducked under the seat, reattaching her bra and gathering up the clothes around her. 

“Fives!” 

Only the sound of laughter responded, filling the freighter’s hull as Fives desperately wiped the tears from his eyes. “Maybe next time you should be more careful, someone could see!” He wheezed.

Wrapping herself back in the robe, she faces him, “I’ll make you pay for that, I swear.” 

“Trust me, Vix’ika. Once the Doc clears you, I’m gonna make you pay for being a little tease. On your knees,” he winked at her.

“Sir, yes sir.” 

After redressing in their respective armor and transferring all of their gear from the freighter to their personal speeder, Fives flew them out of the GAR-owned district into a part of town Vix had never been to before. Gorgeous high rises glittered in the shining sun, their sleek designs and towering features exuding a sense of wealth and power. Like Vix’s apartment, it had a breathtaking view of the Jedi Temple and the Senate building. But unlike the apartment Fives pulled their speeder up to, it didn’t have a private landing platform with an exposed living area. As Fives had explained on the drive over, he had borrowed the clothes from, as he put it, “a friend who could keep a secret”. Vix had zero clue what that meant but she wasn’t going to ask too many questions; whoever gifted them the clothes for their wedding, they had great taste. 

Fives hopped out of the car and scurried over to the passenger side, offering a chivalrous arm out for her just as a light voice called from the depths of the apartment.

“Fives! What a surprise visit!” 

A woman descends swiftly down the platform steps to greet them, wrapping a floor-length silk robe tightly around her as her long brown hair swished side-to-side behind her.

Fives bowed, “Sorry for dropping by, Senator. I just wanted to return your clothes…” As he sheepishly rests the garment bags on her couch.

“It’s completely fine! Just unexpected is all. Is this her?” 

Fives coaxed Vix to step closer, “It is. Senator Amidala, this is Vixus Phera. My _riduur._ ” 

“Fives!” Vix slapped his armored chest with the tip of her cane.

Fives threw his hands up, “Relax! Padmé can keep a secret! And how else do you think I was able to convince her to loan us the clothes for the ceremony?” 

“I promise Vixus, your secret is safe with me. Congratulations on your marriage, it’s refreshing to see love survive during times of struggle," the Senator offered her hand out.

After a moment, Vix timidly shook her hand, “Thank you, Senator.” 

“Padmé, no formalities here. I’m sure you already have to deal with that enough on a daily basis.” 

“You have no idea.”

Suddenly the distant sound of a male’s voice echoed from the nearby hallway, growing closer and closer with every passing second. It takes a moment for Vix to comprehend what she is hearing, somehow finding the phantom voice familiar, but she can’t quite name it. Until she finally sees him.. 

“Hey babe? Do you know where I left the-” Anakin’s voice trails off as he walks out into the living room, wearing only sleep bottoms and a loosely tied robe.

Everyone shares both shocked and slightly horrified looks at one another for what seems like ages, as Anakin pulls the robe tighter around his exposed chest and joins them. “Fives? Vixus? What are you doing here?”

“General?” Fives half saluted, half asked.

Vix eyed the Jedi suspiciously, "We could ask you the same thing.”

“Padmé and I are longtime...friends.”

The pregnant pause given by the Jedi also allowed for him and Padmé to share worried looks, all quickly spotted by Vix.

Fives nodded slowly, “Understood sir, the Commander and I are...close too.”

Another pause, this time with the anxious tension between the General and the ARC trooper reaching critical levels as the two men size each other up.

“Really?” Anakin asked, sounding genuinely surprised and hopeful.

The room grew silent again and Vix decided this ‘game’ needed to reach its end, knowing that all four of them were clearly in a similar situation if they wanted to admit it or not. Apparently it would be up to her to break the ice.

“Okay, my back is killing me so I'm not in the mood for playing these games.” 

Anakin gaped at her for a brief moment, before disguising his shock with a poor excuse for ‘confusion’, “What games?” 

“Do I really need to say it out loud?” Vix asked.

Padmé sighed, “No need, Vixus. Annie, they know.”

“Know about what?” 

Vix pinched the bridge of her nose, “That you and Padmé are married, just like Fives and I are now.” 

The secret was out. She should be terrified, General Skywalker could easily report both of them to the authorities and ruin their lives instantly. But confirming the rumors about the Senator and the Jedi eased her mind about the entire situation. And this couldn't be considered blackmail if both parties have similar secrets, right?

Everyone watched as Anakin started to understand the situation, his face betraying every emotion as he processed the secret as a snail's pace.

“Wait what? You and Fives?” He finally said.

Fives wrapped his arm around Vix's waist, “Just came back from Krownest, did the ceremony there.” 

Anakin smacked his own forehead lazily, “It all makes so much sense why you saved him from Krell!

Everyone tensed considerably at the mention of the fallen Jedi, and Vix could feel Fives' arm tighten around her.

The Jedi noticed his mistake and winced, "Sorry, maybe shouldn’t have mentioned him. How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, “Tired I think is the only way to describe it. But Umbara is in the past, and I have a much better future ahead of me," looking up to see her loving _riduur_ beaming with pride.

“Well thank you for all you did for the men. I couldn’t ask for a better trooper than Fives to have under my command," Anakin said.

“If you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you release him from the 501st so he can work with me. Think of it as your wedding gift to us," Vix winked at him.

Anakin warmly smiles, “Of course.”

The sudden chirp of Vix’s wrist communicator disrupts the moment before she quickly accepts the incoming call.

Cody’s voice fills the space, “Vix, General Kenobi has requested your presence in the Jedi Council’s chambers immediately.” 

“Did he say why, Cody?”

“It’s about Umbara, sir.”

Sooner or later, she knew this conversation would occur. She knew that her side of the story would need to be shared, but Force had she wished she could’ve decided when she was ready to talk, rather than have that decision made for her by the Jedi High Council.

“I see. I’m on my way.” 

The static on the other end of the communicator snapped off, leaving Vix to now feel the heavy weights of the stares tensely studying her frame. Anakin rests his hand on her shoulder, his metallic hand gently squeezing her shoulder.

“I’ll take you both to the temple, hopefully I can give you some notes on how to avoid the council’s ire,” he playfully jokes.

Vix smiles and nods, “That would be appreciated, Anakin. Padmé, thank you again for everything.”

Padmé gives Vix a tight hug, running a comforting hand along her back that made her feel protected. Like her secret marriage would go to Padmé’s grave if need be.

“It was no problem, please let me know if there is anything else I can help with. It's nice to know there is another couple trying to figure this all out like us." 

After waiting for General Skywalker to change back into his Jedi robes, the three of them had dashed to the Temple. The entire speeder ride over, Anakin went on and on about what she could and could not do in a Council meeting, focusing mostly on preventing her from repeating any of his past embarrassments in front of the Order’s finest.

Traveling through the golden halls of the Temple towards the spire that held the council chambers, Vix could feel the anxiety creep up her spin with every labored step aided by her cane. Anakin left them at the entrance to the chambers, citing a need to check in with the 501st and perform other duties Vix assumed was just general ‘Jedi’ stuff. Not that she _necessarily_ knew what the force-wielders did on a day-to-day basis, but she definitely knew by already having a secret wife, General Skywalker wasn’t your typical Jedi.

Now Fives and Vix stood outside the golden double doors as they awaited the Council’s invitation, her pacing wildly in the small waiting area while being watched by her ever-patient _riduur._

“Remember, I’ll be in the room with you. So if anything becomes too difficult to talk about, I can step in. Alright?” 

Vix had to stop her pacing and force a deep breath. She could do this, knew she could, it was just the matter of taking the first step that scared her.

“Thank you.” 

Finally, the doors slid open and Vix and Fives slowly walked through. The entire council was situated in chairs circled around them, some physically sitting, others represented by their blue holo forms; clearly off somewhere in the galaxy on active duty. By now she recognized every Jedi sitting before her, but that familiarity didn’t quiet the worry in her gut.

“Commander Phera, ARC Trooper Fives, welcome. We apologize for the sense of urgency, but knowing that you were finally well enough to be discharged, we knew it was finally time to discuss the events that took place on Umbara,” Mace welcomed.

“Of course, I hope I can answer any questions you have for me.” 

A small green being, Grandmaster Yoda as she recalled, hummed from his tiny chair. “Not many questions we have. Apologize, we must.” 

The other Jedi solemnly nodded, adding to her curiosity. “What for?” She curiously asked.

“The actions of Master Krell show a grave error in the Council’s ability to sense the darkside festering within ourselves. And while that isn’t an acceptable excuse for not stopping him beforehand, we should have seen that his past fatalities under his command might have indicated something more,” Shaak Ti added.

_Yes, you should have known. A man with quite the infamous reputation in the GAR should have raised some red flags. You could have stopped him long before he killed so many men. Before he tried to kill me._

Vix tried to shake those thoughts away, not wanting the Jedi around her to sense her obvious distress. But Master Plo, Wolffe’s General as she remebered, studied her with a narrowed gaze as he rhythmically tapped a long claw against his vambraces. “The Council would like to offer its sincere apologies that you were caught up in his lust for power and suffered the consequences. If you would like, the Order is offering the services of the Hall of Healing to you. So that your injuries may be fully healed,” his booming baritone offered.

She studied the faces around her, seeing their obvious approval at Master Plo’s offer. But she couldn’t allow herself the possibility of becoming hopeful of a full recovery. Not after the physical toll that came from her experience.

“Thank you for the offer, Masters. But I must respectfully decline it. My life will never fully be the same after what Krell did to me, and no amount of force healing will ever be able to change the past. And he took something from me that I would give anything to have back, but I can’t.” 

An uncomfortable silence washed over the chambers as the Jedi shifted awkwardly in their chairs, perhaps understanding the true depths their inability to stop Krell had affected her more than anyone else left alive in the wake of his rampage.

Mace leaned forward on his elbows, “We understand. In that case, we shall allow you to rest.”

It was an obvious dismissal, meant so the Council could further discuss everything in private. But Vix couldn’t pry her feet off the floor to take the first step away from the tower. The Council members slowly noticed her still standing before them, as Master Yoda called out to her.

“Commander Phera, something else you wish to add?”

She hesitated, spinning back around to look at Fives. He offered a deep nod, a silent gesture to show her that whatever she had to say to the Council, he would support it.

“Something No-Var Castille said has been on my mind lately, and I thought maybe I would ask the Council about it.”

Master Plo waved a clawed hand out to her, “Proceed, young one.”

“I am well aware, just as many members of the GAR command, that Count Dooku was once a member of the Jedi Order,” she started.

Murmurs erupted around her from the various Jedi around her. “True this is, never deny the facts we have,” Yoda interjected.

Vix continued, “No-Var mentioned meeting Dooku’s new master and learning about some grand plan for the galaxy, one that made it sound even crazier than this war. Does the same Lord Sidious mean anything to you?”

Vix didn’t know it was possible for a room to grow this silent. Every single member was frozen in the soft leather upholstery of their chairs, and the only sound in the domed room was the muffled sound of traffic that surrounded the Temple. With the flick of his hand, Master Windu drew all of the blinds and the room was blanketed in almost complete darkness.

“What we are about to tell you stays in this room, is that to be understood?” Mace gritted, earning a slow nod from both Vix and Fives.

Obi-Wan cleared his throat, sitting up from his chair. “Lord Sidious is the name of the Sith Lord who has orchestrated the Clone Wars from the very beginning. I first learned that name directly from Count Dooku during the Battle of Geonosis, but all investigations we have conducted have turned up empty-handed.” 

_Wait...what?_

“How exactly was the war ‘orchestrated’? Was Lord Sidious responsible for the Separatist Crisis a few years back?” Vix asked.

Obi-Wan’s gaze wandered over to the Grandmaster, waiting for some sign of approval before continuing. Vix had zero clue what could make the ‘Great Negotiator’ Obi-Wan Kenobi uneasy, but clearly this information poked a hole through the General’s exterior; revealing only a stressed, slightly terrified man. Yoda gave an encouraging nod and Obi-Wan continued, “We can only assume he was, but he seems to have been pulling the strings for a very long time. We know that he was somehow responsible for commissioning the clone army.” 

“What?” The word falling from her lips like wildfire, burning everything in its wake and leaving only a trail of scorching red for her to see. The Council all slightly winced at her outburst, sensing that the storm within Vix’s mind was about to be unleashed on them.

Vix growled low in her throat, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails _had_ to have broken the skin, but she didn’t care. “So you’re telling me that the Grand Army is made up of soldiers created by the very person who is trying to destroy us? Are y’all kriffing idiots?” 

“Vix…” Fives reached out to grab her arm but she roughly slapped it away.

“No, I’m seriously curious! We already didn’t know about the army until the war broke out and now you share this little juicy bit of information? Does the Senate know about all this?” 

Mace slumped back in his chair, running a hand over his scalp and trying not to age before Vix’s very eyes as the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on his shoulders. “No, only the Jedi and the Supreme Chancellor are authorized to know about this. That is until the two of you stepped through those doors. It is imperative that this remain a secret. If the Senate caught wind of this, let alone the public, it would cause support for the Republic to falter and hundreds of systems could flee to the Separatist cause.”

He brought up a fair point, but they were still kriffing idiots in her opinion to hide the truth from everyone. They didn’t think it was strange that one day a full army arrived on their doorstep with no warning? Vix remembered hearing about the GAR’s arrival on Geonosis back when she was on Umbara and immediately, a million questions had popped up in her head. The Jedi before her didn’t seem that interested in seeking answers, but luckily for them, Vix was a stubborn woman.

“Well because it seems so obvious that your ways haven’t produced any results, I’m going to open my own investigation,” she gritted.

“Vixus, you are going down a dangerous path. The Force is clouded by the dark side enough that not even we know what the future entails,” Obi-Wan warned her.

She turned to face the General, “I can’t sit back and watch more innocent men lose their lives every day. I might not be the fighter I once was, but I can’t let Krell win in thinking that he killed my spirit.” 

Mentioning Krell was a low blow, but it got the Jedi in the room to wipe the shocked looks of their face from her investigation announcement, so that was a win for her.

She continued, “I’ll investigate quietly, use my special forces units and commandos to do undercover work and figure out the truth.”

A low chuckle caught her ear from behind, filtered through the light static of a mask. “I do believe Vixus is the most capable person we could possibly hope to have working this case. I place my full confidence in her abilities to aid us in discovering who this man is, perhaps she can give us a fresh perspective and see things in a different light,” Plo bowed his head towards her.

“Agree, I do, but caution I advise. Someone right under our noses, this is. Dangerous and cunning they must be to escape us,” Yoda advised.

Vix bowed, “Thank you Masters, I will report back if I discover anything.” 

And as her and Fives left the darkness of the chamber, she heard the croaking voice of the Grandmaster once more. “May the Force be with you.” 

* * *

The next morning seemed like any other. Both of them sat at the dining room table in the apartment, sipping caf and finishing the remains of their breakfast while they both discussed work. Now that Vix was officially back at work, they needed to figure out a way to adjust the training modules to better suit her physical limitations; knowing that whatever they decided upon, she wasn’t going to be entirely happy about it. 

A hard knock on the door caught their attention and before Fives could even stand up to answer, the front door slid open and Commander Fox strutted into the room.

“Commander Fox, I don’t remember giving you my access code,” Vix said dryly.

“Don’t need it, this once was a Senate safehouse and I know all the override codes.”

Maybe it was because of Fox’s sudden entrance or that it was too early in the morning to give a damn, but Fives could care less about hiding the fact that clearly he had spent the night. Fox was smart enough, though still a _di’kut_ in Fives’ humble opinion, to have figured out by now the extent of their relationship for the past couple of months. He also knew that the Marshal Commander cared too much about Vix to hurt her. Fives, on the other hand, was fair game.

“So why do I have the unfortunate pleasure of having my house broken into this morning?” 

“The Supreme Chancellor would like to see you. I’m here to escort you to his residence,” Fox curtly offered.

“Okay… Fives I guess we’ll head into the office later.” Both of them started to push away from the table, before being stopped by a discontented grumble from the red-clad trooper.

“The Supreme Chancellor did not request your ARC,” he snarked, looking directly at Fives with narrowed eyes that screamed ‘danger’. The two shared in a momentary staring contest before Vix let out a frustrated sigh.

“Well, I need Fives to do my job and I’m sure the Supreme Chancellor would be fine with having another capable trooper protecting him in his own home.”

The corner of Fox’s eye twitched, “Fine, let’s go.”

The trip to 500 Republica was...tense.

The three of them sat quietly in the back of the small transport, while another trooper guided the ship swiftly through traffic. The entire time, Fives could feel Fox’s gaze on him, but unlike in the past when the Marshal Commander looked ready to kill, this felt different. More subdued and cautious. Fives didn’t know Fox that well, but based on his prior interactions and the stories he had been told, a silent Fox wasn’t good.

Fives was too unsettled by the quiet Commander to drool over the sleek design of the apartment building or stare at the all burgundy furnishings that sat in the Chancellor’s apartment; all bathed by the blood red wallpaper and carpet that matched.

Fox suddenly gestures at glass paneled double doors that rest in the depths of the apartment, “He will meet you out in the gardens.” 

Vix gives a silent nod and beckons Fives to join her as they turn and start walking. But Fox blocks Fives from going any further, “I would like to have a word with Fives, if you don’t mind.” 

“Fox, I don’t thi-” 

Fives interrupted her with a hand on her shoulder, “It’s okay, I don’t think Fox is dumb enough to kill me in front of the Supreme Chancellor.” 

The look both Vix and Fox shot him wasn’t convincing of his safety within the Chancellor’s suite, but eventually Vix walked over to the glass double doors and walked out into the garden; leaving the two men alone.

“So…” Fox started.

“So.” 

The two men stood awkwardly in the expansive space, waiting for Fox to say whatever was clearly on his mind. Fives could see his jaw tighten and loosen repeatedly, like the words were trapped in his throat. Finally, Fox sighed heavily, “I wanted to apologize.” 

Fives rolled his eyes, “Really? For what exactly?” 

“For hurting Vix. For thinking that I could get you out of the picture and have her all to myself.” Fox sounded genuinely sorry, at least enough for what the emotionally stunted clone could produce in Fives’ humble opinion. But it still wouldn’t be enough, at least not for him and certainly not for his wife.

Fives crossed his arms, “I’ll admit, Fox. What you did was a kriffing low blow, but you don’t know how much it hurt Vix to lose you. You were one of her closest friends here on Coruscant, especially after most of her men died on Kamino and Echo and I graduated. And to have her trust betrayed like that, well. Let’s just say Vix has experienced enough betrayal in her life, and I don’t think she ever expected to get that from you.” 

Fives was pissed, or at least he should be. This man, his _vod,_ had the audacity to hurt Vix and not think there would be consequences. And yet, he finds as he studies Fox’s salt and pepper hair, the worry lines mapped across his face, and the sunken bags that deepen under his eyes, he almost feels sorry for the Commander.

“Do you think she will ever forgive me?” Fox mumbled, running his hands through his hair.

“I don’t know, I don’t speak on her behalf. She might not look it, but deep down she just wants to be loved and be surrounded by people that will be there for her. Do you think you can do that? Be there for her?” 

“Absolutely,” Fox instantly replied.

“Then that’s all you have to say to her. Apologize for being a big _di’kut_ and promise to be a better friend.” 

Fox nodded to himself, studying the advice he had just received, before he hisses a slight chuckle.

“I can see why she married you.” 

Fives blinked, “How did you-” 

Fox interjected, “I’m the Marshall Commander of the Coruscant Guard, I know everything. And _vode_ love to spread gossip.” 

“Are you going to tell anyone?” 

More accurately, was he going to tell the authorities. There were plenty of secrets kept safe among the ranks of the Grand Army, but this was breaking the law. If Fox told anyone, let alone the Supreme Chancellor on the other side of the wall, it would mean jail time for Vix and a death sentence for Fives.

Fox slowly shook his head, “No. I’m making a promise to never hurt Vix again, and I intend to keep it. Your secret is safe with me.” 

Fives held his hand out towards the Commander. “Thank you, Fox.” 

Fox blinked at the outstretched hand for a moment before grasping it and giving a stiff shake. “Is she happy?” He sheepishly asked.

Fives couldn’t fight the smile from growing on his face if he tried. “Yes.” 

“Then that’s all I could want for her.”

Fives chuckled, “I think on that we finally have something in common, Fox.”

“We are literally the same person, Fives,” Fox deadpanned.

“Nah, I’m much better looking than you.” 

* * *

Beyond the double doors, the hustle and bustle of Coruscant was hidden behind luscious foliage and bright colors as Vix entered the private garden.

“My dear! It is so wonderful to see you alive and well. I was truly horrified when I heard about Umbara.” Palpatine's voice startled her from behind as he approached.

“It is good to see you too, Supreme Chancellor. How can I be of service?” She curiously asked.

The Chancellor stole one look at her cane, and a sorrowful smile grew on his face. “Let’s find you a spot to sit down, my child. Then we shall talk.” 

“Thank you, sir. Your garden is beautiful, by the way.” 

He smiled, “I commissioned it myself, every plant you see here represents a system under the protection of the Galactic Republic. I know I don’t seem like the type, but I’ve always had a fascination with nature since I was a young boy back on Naboo. So much life, so much wonder waiting to be studied. I come here often when news of the war troubles me, much like the news of Umbara weighed heavily on my heart.” He guided her through the garden, the different alien plants sitting perfectly trimmed in their allocated spots of dirt, not interacting with anything or anyone around it.

She shrugged, “We beat the Separatists and won the system, that is all we could hope for.” 

“Yes, I’m quite pleased about the victory. But I’m currently more focused on you.” 

“Why me?” She asked.

The Chancellor guided her over to a small marbled bench in the corner of the garden, shaded by an overhanging bed of vines with budding red flowers on the tips. They sit down and Vix sees the man studying an already-bloomed flower, touching the delicate petals between his fingertips.

“With everything you have been through in such a short time, I worry about you. Losing someone like you would not only be a significant blow to the Republic, but would break my heart. I thank the Gods that you’re sitting here with me right now," he squeezed her hand.

“Sir, I-thank you.”

Palpatine smiled, “Now I’ve read the report on everything and have been in countless meetings so I’m well aware of everything that took place on the planet surface. Which is why I must commend you for your capture of No-Var Castille.

“But he was shot down with one of our cruisers, we never even got to question him on Dooku’s dealings. I failed."

“I know that he was your father.” 

Vix flinched at his words, still ashamed of the truth and too embarrassed to ask exactly how he knew the truth about her family. Palpatine cupped one of her hands in his, bringing his free hand to tilt her chin back up to face him.

“My child, I’m sorry that you felt you had to keep the truth from me. Know that I will never judge you for whatever you decide to share and will make sure you are treated far better than what that monster did to you. Which leads me to why I summoned you here today. Vixus, I am officially appointing you to my Security Council.” 

_The Security Council? I would be literally in charge of the entire Grand Army! This is too much for someone of my age and experience, let alone someone with no political experience._

“But sir, I-what? Why? Not that I’m grateful and deeply honored but why me?” Vix stammered.

“Why not? You put your loyalty to the Republic before loyalty to your father, and I need those loyal to this government in positions of change, positions of power. I assure you the assignment mostly entails the title and power but no additional work, but you would be doing myself and the Republic a great honor by taking up this call of duty.” 

“I am honored, Your Excellency,” bowing her head so deeply that her forehead touched their joined hands.

“Now that that is all settled, I do have another mission for you, one that I assure you won’t end up with you any more injured than you are now!” Palpatine softly teased, bringing her back up to face him.

“Of course, what can I do?” 

“Our spies have recently informed us of an impending assault on the shipyards on Anaxes. I would like for you to go with the fleet and give additional strategic support. This is a planet we can not afford to lose," Palpatine warned.

Vix huffed to herself, “That’s interesting, they didn’t mention it to me earlier when I spoke to the Council.” 

His head snapped her way, “Oh, you spoke to the Jedi High Council? Pertaining to what?” 

Vix shrugged, “I gave them my report on Umbara and answered their questions about General Krell.”

“Was there anything else you discussed?” 

_Should I tell him about what No-Var said? Maybe I’ll just keep this between myself and the Council, at least until I have more evidence to present to the Chancellor._

“No sir, nothing more.” 

He slowly nodded at her, a small smile creeping on his face. “Well, I won’t keep you sitting out here in the dirt with me. Go and get some rest, you will ship out to Anaxes soon enough.” 

Vix pushed herself off of the stone bench and bowed, “Yes, Supreme Chancellor. Thank you for everything.”

The last thing she hears before the double doors close behind her in the soft purr of his voice. “No, my child. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. For the Republic.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want Fox and Fives to be bros, ya know?


End file.
